Blessings
by Kasman
Summary: Ship! Ship! Ship ahoy. Here's one for the shippers. And the soap continues...
1. Blessings

Disclaimer: The suits at Fox own these guys, I'm just playing with them.

A/N: Well, it looks like Logan's little family has climbed into my head to stay for now. Ship warning!! Thanks to catherder and alaidh, once again, for the beta. 

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BLESSINGS

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The Penthouse, Fogle Towers, early April 2034

Logan woke with a start. He put his hand out on the bed, to the place Max usually occupied, even though she slept very little. It was cold and abandoned. She had evidently been gone for some time. He looked over at the crib beside the bed, where the moonlight shone through the window, and sighed. He hadn't heard a thing, but Max obviously had. Casting a quick glance in the direction of the clock, then at the vacant space beside him on the bed, he made his decision. He quickly pushed up to a sitting position, dragged his legs over the side of the bed, and sat there for a moment to allow himself to wake up properly. He quickly transferred into the wheelchair and grabbed his glasses.

Wondering why he had woken, he rubbed his arms, suddenly feeling the chill of the night and finally realizing that was what had awakened him. He grabbed the sweater and pants he'd left hanging over the end of the bed the night before, and quickly pulled them on. He unlocked the brakes and quietly wheeled out of the room. Logan stopped briefly and looked into his son's room in passing. Eleven year old Ben was spread-eagled across the bed, his dark hair tousled. Logan quietly entered and covered him. As with most kids, the bedclothes had headed for the floor through the night. His father often accused him of fighting tigers in his sleep. Ben stirred briefly and rolled partly over, but didn't wake.

Quietly rolling through the apartment, Logan thought he heard movement in the living room. Max occupied a corner of the sofa, and was gently dozing while baby Eva sucked at her breast. The silvery moonlight illuminated the side of her face and made her hair shine blue-black where it sprayed across her shoulders and neck. She cradled the baby in her right arm and her feet were curled up under the faded red bathrobe, one of Logan's, to which she had taken a liking some years before, and which she had resurrected from the back of the closet. Her left hand rested on her knee. A stray beam of moonlight also lit the side of the baby's face. Logan could see her mouth and the fingers of one hand moving as she suckled.

The wheels of the chair hummed on the floorboards as he approached the woman and the swaddled child. He was, as always, entranced to witness this most intimate of moments. He drew as close as he could, hesitating, not wanting to spoil the moment and looked at Max critically. She looked tired and thin. The ancient red bathrobe emphasized the pallor of her skin. He gently adjusted the back of the robe where it had fallen down her back. He hadn't realized how prominent the bones of her neck and shoulders had become, and frowned in worry.

"Hey," he whispered when she looked up at him. "Why don't you go back to bed?"

"I will, just as soon as this little lady is done," she responded and gave a small smile.

Logan ran his hand through her hair, bringing their foreheads together for the softest of touches. "You look exhausted."

Max, for once, didn't dispute it. She closed her eyes and drew one of her feet up even further underneath her on the sofa. Eva was a difficult, unsettled baby, and wasn't sleeping well. Max was only partially recovered from the delivery, and had become much more run-down than she cared to admit, even to herself. The difficult pregnancy, her constant nausea throughout and bleeding in the later stages, had left her worn out. Her robust X5 constitution had taken a beating, and the lack of rest was hindering her normally phenomenal recuperative powers. She had lost a lot of weight, while Eva had thrived, but the lack of rest was starting to tell.

"Too much shark in her cocktail?" Logan smiled at her.

"Yeah, way too much," she wanly smiled.

"You need to rest."

"Well this little girl thought otherwise..." she caught the worried look on his face. "Don't worry, I will, just as soon as she's done." Max patted the sofa beside her. "Come and sit beside me."

"In a minute. You want a drink?"

She nodded, "Thanks."

Logan backed up and headed into the kitchen, returning with a large tall glass half-filled with water. "Here you go."

"Thanks," she said again and smiled sweetly. "Thirsty work." She took a long drink, closing her eyes as she did, and set the glass on the table, then nodded her head in the direction of the opposite end of the sofa. "Come on, keep me company." While Logan reversed and circumnavigated the coffee table, she slid in a finger and gently pulled the baby off her breast, which elicited a small cry of protest. She swung her feet round onto the floor and propped Eva up on her knee with a hand cupping her chin. Then she rubbed Eva's back gently, giving a small giggle at the huge burp that erupted from the tiny child. While she was doing this, Logan, in a smooth, well-practiced move, transferred from the wheelchair to the other end of the sofa.

Max held the baby close and leaned back into him, swinging her legs up on the opposite side, and once again curling them up underneath the bathrobe. He gently wrapped an arm around the two of them. Eva turned her head in toward her mother, greedily searching for the other nipple. Max softly guided the questing mouth. She relaxed into Logan's shoulder, her free hand finding his. He used his other hand to brush a stray hair out of her face, and smiled down at her.

"Mmm, nice," she said, snuggling harder against him.

"You are most welcome, young lady," he responded, sounding like a gentleman from a period movie.

They remained in a silence, broken only by the sounds made by the feeding baby, until even they ceased and the child slept. Eventually, Logan said, "Why don't you go back to bed. I'll take care of her. Go on."

Max slowly uncurled herself from his grasp and carefully handed the child to Logan. Eva, sated, barely stirred as her father enfolded her in his warm embrace. Max dropped a kiss on top of his head, crushing the rumpled, graying hair, then grabbed the tall glass of water and left him. She was soon asleep, while Logan, holding his sleeping daughter, silently awaited the dawn and pondered the changes in his life that Max and his two beautiful children had brought, still wondering what benevolent force had been working its magic to give him so many blessings.


	2. Changing the Guard

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Disclaimer: Don't own 'em, much as I wish I did.

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A/N: Thanks to catherder for the beta. 

This is pretty much going to be plot-free – a look at a future Max and Logan's home life in the 2030's. If anyone has anything they would particularly like to see (some nice Logan torture...lol) drop me a note either by e-mail or in a review and I'll see what I can do.

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Chapter 2 – Changing the Guard

Max woke, feeling more refreshed than she had in weeks, to find the sun had hit the windows. Looking across at the clock, she could see it was after 8:00 am. Logan's side of the bed was still empty, as was the crib, and she felt a little twinge of guilt at having slept so long. She emerged from the bedroom stretching luxuriously. Tying the red bathrobe around her, she took a quick peek through the door to Ben's room and saw that he was already up, and had even made his bed.

Max paused as she entered the living room, enchanted by the tableau. Ben, already dressed for school, was lying on the sofa watching TV, with his head on his father's leg. An empty cereal bowl and half a glass of milk were on the coffee table. Logan, still holding Eva, leaned slightly sideways into the arm of the couch, looking half asleep, as he watched a cartoon with Ben.

"Hey, guys."

Ben waved briefly at his mother, not taking his eyes off the TV screen.

"Hey, yourself," responded Logan. "You look better."

She smiled in reply. "I _feel_ better. Amazing what four hours' sleep will do for a girl. What about you?" 

Logan shrugged. 

"Logan, you're not an X5...you need to sleep."

"Yes, and so do you." 

Ben looked up at his mother, catching the sharp tone in her voice, and turned up the volume on the TV.

"Time for school, son," said Logan, rumpling the boy's dark hair with his free hand.

"Aww, dad."

"Now. Go."

Ben sat up and started to go. "Dad...don't forget about the play," Ben looked at him expectantly, and Max again felt a twinge of guilt. Logan caught the expression on her face.

"I won't. Just go."

"Have a good day, sunshine." She hugged Ben to her and kissed the top of his head.

Ben took his bowl and glass into the kitchen. He made a short stop in the bathroom to brush his teeth and hair, and collected his school bag. The door banged loudly as he left. Max looked in the direction of the door with longing.

"You want to go, don't you?"

"Yes, I do," she sighed. "Who'd a thunk?"

"So do it."

"What?"

"Go. I _can_ take care of Eva, you know. Go on...take a break...I think I can handle this little Eyes Only assignment for that long."

"Are you sure? I could take her with me."

"Max!"

"But what if she gets hungry while I'm gone?" Eva, with perfect timing, started to cry.

"I'll be fine, Max. You don't have to go 'til one anyway. Plenty of time to sort this little one out."

Max smiled shyly and sat beside him. "What did I do to deserve you?"

"Unjust profits of a lifetime of crime." He smiled, as she took Eva from him. "Hungry?" 

"She sure is," Max laughed as the baby immediately started nuzzling her, mouth open.

Logan laughed, "I meant you." He transferred to the wheelchair. "Can I interest you in a Cale special this morning?"

"What's a girl gotta do to get a meal in this joint?" she smiled.

Logan grinned and pushed off for the kitchen, but had second thoughts and turned back to her. "I meant what I said. If you want to go to the play, go. I'm quite capable of looking after Eva for a couple of hours. You can take the Ninja, clear the cobwebs..." 

"Only if you feed me, then go and get some rest yourself. Can't have Eyes Only conking out on the job. Deal?"

"Deal."

"And Logan...thank you."

"For what?" He looked puzzled.

"For last night..."

"Max, we're a family...it's what's supposed to happen."

"But it doesn't in most families, does it?" She hesitated, unsure of her ground. Her knowledge of family life was really only based on her own bad experiences with fostering, and what she had learned in her current existence.

"Sometimes I forget that you never had a proper childhood, no parents, only your siblings for companionship and to care for you."

"I don't. Not ever." Her expression was grim. "Sometimes I hate them for what they did to us. But, then, I think about what my weird little life has brought me...the joys...you, OC, Ben, this little girl, and I think just maybe it was worth it.

"No one is more glad than me that a certain cat burglar dropped through his skylight. I would have been dead a long time ago, if not for you."

Max's stomach rumbled noisily, and she looked at him with a troubled expression.

"Let's get you some food."

An hour later, Logan was already asleep, catching up what he missed through the night and Eva, wide awake, seemed happy enough. Max had been cooped up at home for several weeks before Eva's arrival and hadn't had much opportunity to go out since. She was really looking forward to the afternoon excursion. The apartment, beautiful as it was, had started to feel like a prison. When Logan eventually surfaced just before noon, Max was curled up on the couch with Eva and a book.

"Hey."

"Hey. You look nice," she smiled.

Logan had showered and shaved. His uncombed hair damply stuck out every which way, and his face positively gleamed without the scruff.

"Mmm...smell good, too."

He laughed. "You good to go?"

"Are you sure you want to do this?" they asked simultaneously.

"Yes, Max, I'm sure."

"'K then. Just allow me to worry a little – mother-love and all that." She straightened up, dropped the book beside her, and sat Eva up on her knee, rubbing the baby's back. "I'll get her changed then go, okay."

"Sure."

She stood to leave, then had second thoughts and came back to delicately sit on Logan's lap, giving him a hug with her free arm. "Thank you."

"For what?"

"For being you."

"Hey, don't go all soppy on me. I'll think I got the wrong woman."

Max gently clouted Logan's head, which he ducked, and left the room.


	3. One Man and a Baby

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Disclaimer: Kasman gives a big sigh and says I don't own them – I just wish I did.

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A/N: Thanks to the Almighty Beta catherder. Thanks also to my Anonymous Canadian Friend for her Aztek help. Gilenagile – I am not going to go there at all. TMI for me...lol. I'm open to other ideas, however, and I did get in your first request.

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Chapter 3 – One Man and a Baby

Logan held Eva in place on the sofa with one hand while he felt for the damp washcloth. It was about 30 minutes since Max had left for the school play. Aside from anything else, it was a good chance for her to take the Ninja for a quick spin. Those opportunities were far too few these days.

__

"Are you sure?" she'd asked him several times more before heading out.

"Max, just go. You've been pretty much cooped up in the apartment for weeks."

"I won't be long...promise."

"Take your time. We'll be fine."

Eva squirmed and arched her back. She still didn't like being unwrapped much – she was one of those babies who liked to be swaddled so tightly that she was as stiff as a board.

"Ugh, how can something so small make such a big mess," Logan asked her, lifting her feet so he could wash her thoroughly. He had just grabbed the baby powder when the phone started to ring. He cocked an ear to the answering machine and heard the voice of one of his informants speaking.

"Logan, if you're there, pick up! It's Matt, I have something important for you. It's urgent!"

Logan looked at Eva, torn in two directions at once, before picking up the handset from the coffee table and awkwardly jamming it between his ear and his shoulder.

"Matt, I'm here. What's up?" He continued what he was doing with Eva as he spoke.

"Can we meet in about 15 minutes? This is really important."

"Matt, I'm right in the middle of something here. Couldn't it wait until later?"

"No, Logan, it has to be now."

Logan sighed and looked at the squirming baby. "Matt, I don't think I can make it..." He lifted Eva as she started to squall, and slid the clean diaper underneath, then fastened the plastic tabs on the sides.

"Logan, you have to. This is really big time, but if we don't move now, it'll slip through our fingers."

"OK...Pub, Sector 5, in 30 minutes – that's the best I can do." He grimaced at the noise Eva had started making and wondered what Matt, at the other end of the phone, made of it.

"I'll be there." Matt severed the connection, and Logan put the phone back on the table. 

"So, what do we do with you, missy," he sighed, buttoning up her jumpsuit and proceeding to wrap her again. "Mom won't be back for another hour..." He held her close until she calmed down, gently rocking the wheelchair with one hand, then set the baby on his lap, lengthwise, and picked up the phone again. He hit the number for Max's cell phone, only to hear it ringing from the kitchen. "Damn," he muttered. Next, he tried Original Cindy, but her cell phone was switched off and her home phone unanswered. Finally, in desperation, he tried Joshua. The big transgenic was still in Seattle and making a living of sorts as an artist, painting large colorful murals on schools and office buildings.

"Hey."

"Hey, big fella, it's Logan."

"Oh, Logan, what's up?"

"Joshua, I need your help. You wouldn't be able to babysit for about an hour for me, would you? Max isn't here..."

"Sorry, Logan, I'm working down in Sector 12."

"OK, sorry to have disturbed you."

Logan grimaced, put the phone aside, and looked at Eva. "Well, kiddo, guess it's up to you and me." Eva clenched one tiny hand into a fist and waved it in the air. Logan headed into the kitchen with the soiled diaper, which he deposited in the trash. His next stop was the main bathroom, where he dropped the washcloth in the bucket, and washed his hands. The final stop was the bedroom, where he pulled the baby bag out of the closet and rummaged through it for a moment, and pulled out the carry pack, which hadn't been used yet. He looked at Eva thoughtfully and gently brushed the soft brown fuzz on her head with his hand. He lay the baby on the bed while he put the front pack on and adjusted the straps. Unwrapping her, he slid her in carefully, feeding her legs out the two holes. At four weeks, she was too small for her arms to feed out the top holes, but once she was in, she looked snug and secure. Finally, Logan hung the bag of supplies from the back of the wheelchair by its straps, and headed out through the kitchen again, stopping briefly to add a bottle of sterile water to the bag. Max had made sure she was fed before she left, but it didn't hurt to have something on hand just in case. "OK, let's go, kiddo." He picked up his keys and locked the door on the way out.

Eva's eyes followed Logan's hand as he reached for the elevator button. Logan caught the movement out of the corner of his eye and smiled to himself. "You don't miss anything, do you, Ms Shark-in-her-cocktail."

Once the elevator deposited them at the parking garage, he rolled straight to the car, unlocked the doors and carefully leaned in to free up the removable inner section of the capsule on the passenger side of the back seat. He dropped the capsule on the ground for the moment while he unfastened the clasps and removed Eva from the front pack. He carefully lay her in the capsule and did up the straps. Reaching up, he slotted it back into place and felt around for the belt blindly. After groping for a minute or so, he finally snapped the belt into place and leaned back, rubbing the shoulder he'd over-stretched. He quickly stuffed the bag and Snuggli front pack on the floor, and went around to the other side, where he transferred into the front seat, disassembled the wheelchair and loaded it into the car.

Logan drove out of the building and headed for the English style pub in Sector 5 where he had been meeting Matt Sung on a regular basis for more than 15 years. He thanked his lucky stars that Matt hadn't suggested a dive like the old Steel Pole Saloon, which was still doing a roaring trade in the seedier part of Sector 9.

This was the first time he'd taken Eva out on his own. Eva had been a surprise package in many respects. No one was more shocked than Max to find herself pregnant again after so long. It had been a bad pregnancy. She'd been ill almost from day one, and it took a lot of trial and error and, at one point, some urgent medical attention, for severe vomiting and nausea, to figure out what she could and could not eat. Max was simply not used to being sick and had been unbearably touchy and irritable. With Ben, she had sailed through the whole process. With Eva, it was the opposite. Toward the end, she also had started to bleed, her blood pressure had gone through the roof, and she had ended up on bed rest. This had been an incredibly difficult time for her. X5s didn't like sitting still at the best of times, particularly X5s who didn't sleep. 

The final straw was a baby who, even at the tender age of a few weeks, was not sleeping more than your average insomniac adult. It was no wonder Max was exhausted and in need of a break. Logan had been doing everything he could. He was increasingly worried about her because her legendary recuperative powers were taking a long time to kick in. Taking the early morning shift, and giving her the occasional break like this one, were the least he could do.

Right now, however, he almost regretted telling Max to go to the play. Coping with Eva in the apartment was one thing, but having to take her to a meeting with an informant was something else entirely. Other than Matt Sung, none of his contacts even knew he had a family. Even with Matt, it had been a chance meeting in one of the markets when Ben was a toddler. In a way, he was looking forward to the vicarious pleasure Matt's reaction was going to give him.

Parking the bar, Logan reversed his previous procedure. Eva, like most babies, had fallen asleep for a few minutes in the car. Logan regretted having to wake her, but there was no other way. 

Logan eventually rolled into the pub, five minutes late. Matt was already seated at their usual table with two beers in front of him, his back to the door. The years were dealing kindly with Matt. His hair was still shiny black and his face almost unlined. Chasing down crime seemed to agree with him.

"Hey, Matt," Logan firmly grasped the detective's shoulder as he came up behind him.

"Log..." Matt started to say, half turning to face him, then stopped, struck dumb for a moment. "Logan..." He seemed unsure how to continue – he was almost gaping. "I'm sorry, Logan, I didn't know..."

"You weren't supposed to, Matt. I prefer to keep my private life just that: private." Logan pulled around to the far side of the table and locked the brakes.

"How's Max keeping?"

"She's good." Logan hesitated for a moment, then took a sip of the beer Matt handed him. "Now, what was so urgent?"

"Thought you might be interested in these." Matt handed over an unsealed envelope. "And I thought you might want to know that I'm going to be missing for a while...taking a vacation. First time in a few years."

Logan opened the envelope and pulled out the documents within, quickly flicking through the pages. He looked over his glasses at Matt, then back down quickly. "Thanks, Matt. These are good," he smiled, still looking through the papers.

Logan became aware that Matt was scrutinizing him closely and looked up. "What?"

"Nothing. Just surprised is all." Matt paused as if trying to choose his words carefully.

"He's eleven."

"Who?"

"Ben. You were running the math, weren't you."

"And you waited this long?

Logan shrugged. "Just happened that way. Wasn't planned..."

"No problem. Just..."

"Surprised? No one was more surprised than me. We didn't think there'd be more after Ben, but funnier things have happened, right?"

"Yeah, right, like me taking a vacation after ten years."

"So, why bring the baby here?"

"No choice. Max was out on an errand. I did try to put you off, if you recall."

"Yeah, sorry about that."

"Matt, thanks for this, but I really need to get back. Enjoy your vacation, and call me when you get back." Logan backed up from the table and headed for the door.


	4. The Best Medicine

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Disclaimer: Kasman once again gives a big sigh and says I don't own them – I just wish I did.

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A/N: Thanks to the Almighty Beta catherder. 

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Chapter 4 – The Best Medicine

Max entered the quiet apartment pushing the motorcycle, Ben following close behind. Even in the secured building, she didn't trust leaving her sweetheart in the basement, instead parking it in the almost unused rear hallway behind Ben's room. The doorman had given up commenting, and as long as the Ninja didn't drop oil in the elevator, it didn't really matter. Max was puzzled at having to unlock the door – it was seldom locked, and, indeed, often wide open, when they were home.

Ben dropped his bag on his bed and made straight for the kitchen. Other than inheriting his mother's dark good looks (and his father's green eyes), he had also inherited her appetite and, like most boys, was always hungry when he got home from school.

"Logan!" Max called from the hallway, setting the bike up on its stand. The response was silence. "Logan!" she called again, thinking he may not have heard. Unconcerned, she wandered through to the bedroom. Max dropped her jacket on the bed and absent-mindedly closed the door of the closet. She cast a quick glance in the direction of the exoskeleton, strapped to its dummy, where it had been gathering dust for five years now. The whole left side was cracked and bent out of shape where it had been damaged from a collision with the stanchions of a bridge. Bessie had been totally written off in the high-speed smashup, and Logan would have died if Alec hadn't been there to pull him from the wrecked car before it exploded into flames. She fingered the cracks and bends, remembering the lengthy recovery…bones cracked like eggshells. It had taken hours of surgery to pin and plate the mess back together, if only for cosmetic purposes. Max shuddered involuntarily at the memory.

"Mom," came Ben's voice from the kitchen.

"Coming," she responded automatically, shaking off the bad memory. "Logan!" she called again, starting to get concerned. She walked through the kitchen, picking up her phone, and noted the unanswered call. The living room was also empty except for Ben, who had a plate of food and his homework on the coffee table. _This is getting really annoying,_ she thought. She banged loudly on the door of the computer room, then opened it and looked in.

"Ben, did your father leave a note or anything?"

"No, mom."

"Damn, and I didn't have my phone…so where is he?"

"Mom, why don't you call him?"

Max gave Ben a blank look and hit Logan's number on the phone, which was still in her hand.

*~*~*~*~

Logan pulled into the downstairs parking garage of Fogle Towers and into his allotted space. Eva was starting to complain. He quickly transferred into the chair and collected Eva from the back seat, once more inserting her into the front pack. As he was doing this, his phone started to ring, but unfortunately, he couldn't reach it because he'd stashed it in the inside pocket of his jacket before getting out of the car. He headed straight for the elevator with Eva still complaining.

*~*~*~*~

Max came back to the living room still holding the phone and glaring at it as it rang. She sat on the end of the couch and clasped her hands around her knees, rocking slightly back and forth. She was getting a little worried. Eva was overdue for feeding and Max was getting distinctly uncomfortable.

*~*~*~*

Logan rocked the chair gently all the way up in the elevator, trying to quiet Eva. He was hoping that Max would already be back when he got there, as it fast became obvious what the problem was. He was a hands-on dad, but there was just one thing he could not do, and he was seriously hoping Max would be back to do it.

Arriving at the penthouse, Logan was relieved to find the door unlocked. He rolled straight through to the living room, looking for Max, who heard him enter and straightened up immediately. Eva still whined softly.

"Where the hell have you been?"

He goggled at her, taken aback by her vehemence. "I tried to call you – you forgot your phone."

"You could have left a note!"

Logan leaned back, stung by her response. "I'm sorry…I got called out urgently."

"Logan, you could have left a note at least…even left a message on the answering machine…anything."

"Have you checked the answering machine?"

"Well, no, but…"

Logan shrugged and started to undo the pack. "Here, she's hungry, I think."

"Logan, where were you?" Max accepted the proffered baby.

"I told you, I got an urgent call to meet an informant. He..."

"And you took the baby along for the ride?" Max raised an eyebrow at him. "Where was this meeting?"

"Look, I got a call from Matt and had to meet him. It was the only time he could make it. We met down in Sector 5. It was okay, really."

Max looked at him, suppressing a smile. "You took Eva to that pub in Sector 5? Logan!!"

"What?" Logan looked astounded at her reaction.

Max started to laugh. "Oh my God, Logan, you took her to a pub to meet an informant…with her in a Snuggli…" Logan started to look affronted at her obvious enjoyment. "Oh, Logan…" she gasped. "I'm sorry…but that's just…"

"What? What else was I supposed to do…"

"Don't get huffy on me…" she giggled, breathlessly.

"Dad, that's just so…dorky…" Ben finally spoke up from the armchair where he was still doing homework.

Logan cast a look in his son's direction. "Hey, what else was I supposed to do? I can't hold a baby and push the chair along the street, up and down curbs, at the same time, 'kay? Don't want her to fall on her head in the gutter. Look, Matt rang up, he had to meet me then or not at all - he's taking some time off. It had to be today…it was important!"

"Oh, Logan, how can you be so clueless?" Max rolled her eyes.

"I'm glad you find it so amusing." Logan drew himself up straight, still upset that they were laughing at him. He dropped the front pack on the coffee table. "How was the play?"

Max gave one of her dazzling, broad smiles. "It was wonderful. Your son stole the show."

Ben looked up at his dad, grinned, and shrugged.

"And you wouldn't be biased, by any chance?" Logan's mouth twitched into a half-smile.

"I'm totally unbiased," she smiled back. "He's been watching OC's stand-up routine for so long that it's rubbed off." Max winked at Ben.

"And he doesn't have any of that X5 reluctance to stand in the limelight, right?" Logan teased. They had never hidden Max's roots from Ben. He knew her background and history.

"Dad, it was fun." 

"Well, don't let it go to your head." Logan reached around to pull the envelope from the back pocket of the wheelchair. "I need to make a move on this, so if you're done laughing at me, I'll go and do some work."


	5. Cabin by the Lake

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A/N: Thanks to the Almighty Betas, catherder and alaidh (and despite alaidh's recurring lament of "oh the shippiness, the shippiness").

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Disclaimer: I wish I could say that I own them…but I don't, dammit.

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Chapter 5 – Cabin by the Lake

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July 2034

Logan glanced across at Max as she dozed with her head against the window of the Aztek. It had been a long day. They were headed north out of the city for a short break, now that the long summer vacation had arrived, and the traffic through Seattle had been a nightmare. The Cale family cabin beckoned. Bennett, Marianne, and their son, Jonas, would be joining them for the weekend, but in the meantime, Logan was bringing his family for a few days of quiet. They were all looking forward to the break. Even Eyes Only was packed away for a few short days. Logan had buried the laptop among the luggage, having faithfully promised Max that they would all be relaxing.

The car bounced onto the potholed dirt road from the highway. The jouncing of the vehicle woke Max and she stretched and smiled. "Are we there yet?"

"Hey, that's Ben's line, not yours," Logan admonished with a smile.

"Are we there yet?" piped up Ben from the back seat.

Logan suppressed a grin. "Nearly, not far now."

The SUV bumped up the ungraded road to the cabin. Logan pulled up at the rear entrance near the kitchen where he had arranged the construction of a ramp some years before. He killed the engine and gave a small, satisfied grin. "Well, folks, here we are. Next stop fun, games and relaxation."

Max peeled herself out of the corner in which she'd been napping and walked around the back of the car to fetch the wheelchair. Logan quickly assembled the chair while Ben ran ahead to the door, key in hand. He opened the cabin up with a flourish and disappeared inside. Logan transferred to the chair in a quick, deft movement, rippling his well-developed shoulder muscles. Max, who was busily unstrapping five-month old Eva from the back seat, cast an admiring glance at her husband's back, clad in a tight-fitting t-shirt. She grabbed the baby, shut the door of the car and, smiling, dropped into Logan's lap, hugging him tight with her free arm.

"Thank you," she said.

"For what?"

"For packing Eyes Only in a box and bringing us all up here." She gazed deep into his eyes, drinking in their depths, almost nose to nose. 

Ben thudded back out of the cabin and rolled his eyes when he saw his parents. "Gees, can't you guys save that for tonight. Puhlease..."

Max laughed. "C'mon, let's get the car unpacked and then we can relax."

Ben had already taken his bag in and tossed it on his bed in the loft bedroom. He was now throwing open doors and windows to air the place out. Logan rolled through with a heavy pack over his shoulder and dropped it on the floor of the bedroom. He pulled the dust sheet off the bed, threw it onto the window seat, and flung the window open, wrinkling his nose at the musty smell of the room. 

Max came in with a bag and dropped Eva on Logan's lap. She sat on the edge of the bed, then flopped back, stretching luxuriously, an inviting strip of abdomen bared. Logan thought for a moment about tickling that inviting strip of flesh, but contented himself with gripping Eva with one hand and bending down to unpack the contents of his bag into a drawer with the other.

"Why don't you guys go for a walk? I'll get the rest of the stuff out of the car and make some dinner," Logan finally said.

"Do you know, I was hoping you'd say that." She half sat up, leaning back on her elbows and smiled lazily. "Ben," she called. "We're going for a walk."

Logan, looking out the window a few minutes later as he packed Max's clothes into another drawer, saw the three of them walking toward the lake at the back of the house, the light summer breeze whipping their hair. Ben had his arm around his mother's waist, and Eva, supported on her opposite hip, had grabbed a handful of her hair and was pulling on it, hard.

*~*~*~

Some hours later, with both children asleep, Logan and Max sat close together on the sofa and touched wine glasses in a quiet toast. The candlelight flickered, highlighting the planes of their faces. It reflected off the windows and Logan's glasses, where they sat on the coffee table, and bathed the whole room in a soft glow. 

"This place is really special, isn't it?" Max said quietly.

"Yeah, it is."

"Do you remember the first time?"

"The first time?"

"The first time you brought me here?"

"Yeah, I do. Gotta watch out for the downtrodden..."

Logan, struggling for control, turned away and stared with unfocused eyes straight ahead, out the windscreen of the car. "I'll miss you." 

Max fidgeted nervously in her seat, darting quick sideways glances at Logan. Her voice was small, hesitant, worried.

"…I have to go back. Someone has to watch out for the downtrodden. Blah blah, woof woof, right?"

Logan sadly watched Max walk away from the car, her brother Zack already inside the cabin, on the run again. Suddenly, she turned on her heel and came back to the car, leaned in through the window, and kissed him deeply. Then she fled to the safety of the cabin. He thought he'd never see her again.

"Walking away was the hardest thing..." She looked suddenly sad. "All in all, though, this place has some really good memories," she smiled.

"Yeah, it does."

__

"Hurry up," Original Cindy said, putting the last- minute touches to Max's hair. She checked her over one last time and stood back, satisfied. "The Justice of the Peace is here."

Max stood up from kitchen chair Original Cindy had placed in front of the drawers and flicked the creases out of the red evening dress, smoothing it over her abdomen, where she hoped the beginnings of new life didn't already show. The last time she had worn this dress was at Bennett's wedding. Now it was being worn to her own. "Will I do?" Max looked at herself in the full-length mirror Original Cindy and she had dragged out of the loft earlier in the day. 

Cindy smiled her approval. "Go. They're waiting for you." Cindy stood back with her hands on her hips and admired her handiwork one last time. Max hesitated, suddenly shy. Looking at her hands, she could see they were shaking.

Logan was waiting for her in the living room with Bennett. The tux had come out of the back of the closet again, and was cleaned and pressed. He shuffled nervously, the exoskeleton humming. He had never looked so handsome to her...clean shaven, neat and tidy, glasses polished, hair combed...

Max swept into position beside him, a sweet smile lighting her face, nerves forgotten. She couldn't remember any of the ceremony afterwards, not the words. All she could recall was the conviction that this was the right thing to do, and the firmness with which Logan spoke the words...and then the kiss...

The JP had left straight after the ceremony, driving off in his beat-up car. Bennett and Original Cindy only lingered to take a few snapshots, and then they were gone as well, leaving them to the candle-lit supper Logan had prepared.

"Do you remember..." Max asked softly.

Logan looked at her closely, green eyes almost black in the soft light and smiled. "Yeah, I do. Something about this place, isn't there?"

"Yeah, there is...well...something 'bout that big old four-poster bed, anyway," she smiled.

"So when were we here last?" he asked, coyly. Max smiled back at him. Logan set his glass on the table and gently ran his fingers down the side of Max's face and into her hair. "And...what about that big old four-poster bed?" he murmured.

"Shut up," Max said softly and leaned in to kiss him.

A loud wailing suddenly emanated from the bedroom, disturbing the moment. Max sighed and stood up. "Don't move," she said, pushing one finger into Logan's chest. She trailed her hand up and across his shoulder as she delicately picked her way past him, returning a few minutes later with the baby. She leaned back into Logan's hard chest, her head tucked under his chin, and relaxed again. Eva, while still not adopting normal baby sleep patterns, had improved greatly from the early days. Max had made her a bed in the old basket that fitted neatly into the far corner of their room. It had been used by several generations of Cales at the old cabin. The basket had lurked under a sheet in the attic for many years until Ben and Jonas came along, and now had been put into use again. By Logan's calculations, at least seven Cale children had used the old wicker basket, and no doubt there would be more to come in future generations.

"Now, where were we before we were so rudely interrupted..." she smiled. "Oh, I know, big old four-posters?"

"Yeah, big old four-posters...and what about the product of big old four-posters?" Logan smiled and ran his fingers down Max's arm.

"And that would be?"

"Well, me, for one thing," he rested his chin on her head.

"Really?"

"My mom liked to think I was conceived in that big old bed."

"And what do you think?"

"I have no idea. I wasn't there at the time," he responded dryly.

"We haven't been here for fourteen months...you wanna run the math on that one?"

"I know..." he responded, a smug look on his face.

They sat in silence for a while, enjoying the moment. Logan ran his hand up and down Max's bare arm gently, until Eva reached up and grabbed his finger in one small, soft fist, squeezing it rhythmically. 

"Mm," Max sighed, breaking the companionable silence. Her pajamas rustled as she changed position slightly, swapping Eva around. The baby looked up at her parents and gave a broad, gummy smile before turning her face back to Max's breast. "This is really nice, ya know."

"What is?"

"You, me, Ben, Eva...Eyes Only in a box...I'll be back in a minute..." Max quietly arose and took Eva back to the bedroom. 

She returned a few minutes later, kneeled beside him on the couch, and smiling wickedly said, "Now where were we..." 


	6. Grandma's Feather Bed

****

I'VE RATED THIS PG13, BUT I THINK IT'S REALLY NC17. IF YOU AREN'T 17 – FORGET IT!!!

****

Disclaimer: Alas, they aren't mine, but I put 'em in the sandpit and I intend to play with 'em.

****

A/N: Thanks to my team of betas: my Anonymous Canadian Friend (you know who you are), Milla, alaidh and catherder.

****

Chapter 6 – Grandma's Feather Bed

Logan transferred and sat on the edge of the bed as Max crossed the room after checking on the baby. As she sat in front of him, he reached for her, bringing her head close to his for a deep kiss, running his long fingers through her hair. She reached with one hand to undo the buttons on her top, but he stopped her and started to undo them himself.

Max reached behind Logan and pulled his t-shirt up over his head, ruffling his hair, and lightly raked his back with her nails. He pulled Max's top down her arms and threw it behind him, leaning into her, forehead to forehead. Logan ran his hand down the cleft between her breasts, circling her stomach, feeling for the drawstring on her pyjama bottoms, then pulled the knot undone. Max stood, allowing them to drop to the floor. She knelt and removed Logan's shoes and socks, then pushed his chest gently so he toppled onto his back.

Logan smiled up at her lazily, his face a maze of planes and shadows in the dim light. The only light filtered through from a cloud-covered moon outside and a dim lamp which they'd left turned on in the living room. Max gazed back at him, a slight smile curling her lips. He started to sit up, but she put a hand out and stopped him, pulling his jeans and boxer shorts off, and lifted his legs up onto the bed. She stretched herself alongside him, stroking his arm, his chest, his head. Logan gently pulled her face up to his and kissed her deeply, tongue flicking in and out, holding the back of her head with one hand while he massaged her breasts, her stomach, her back, her buttocks with the other. The touch of his hand burned through her like an electric shock.

Max propped herself up on one elbow for a moment and murmured in his ear huskily, "Damn if you're not still the sexiest man on this planet." She laughed quietly, thinking to herself that she was so glad to have found such a considerate, thoughtful lover. While they had their disagreements and conflicts, this was one aspect of their lives where there had never been an argument, right from the first time in Terminal City on the floor of that abandoned building he had called home for a time. 

Tickling him gently with her fingertips, Max ran her hand down his belly until she found his shaft and started to massage it gently, running her hand up and down the length. Then she moved further up, tickling his armpit, teasing his nipples. Logan's hand found her mound and, when she parted her legs, one long finger found her moist, welcome opening.

*~*~*~

Rolling onto her back, she waited for him to climb on top of her, then locked his legs in place with her own, guiding him inside her and rhythmically squeezing as she moved beneath him. She gazed into his eyes, her own eyes black shadows, holding him steady with a firm hand on each shoulder, drinking him in.

"You still have the most singularly beautiful face I've ever seen," he whispered, leaning down to her ear. Sensing his shoulders starting to tremble with effort, Max gave a flick and a twitch, and they found themselves reversed, with her on top. "All these years, and I still don't know how you do that," he whispered. She laughed throatily in reply.

They both came together, Logan's orgasm rippling through his chest and Max giving a muffled cry, and she collapsed over him, spent for the moment.

"Damn, this place does it to me every time," she said softly in his ear. "What did you do, bury Bast under the bedroom floor?" 

He stifled a laugh. "I think you hid her under the mattress."

"Big ole' four-poster bed..." Max slowly rolled off onto her side, dragging him with her. She reached one leg over his and pulled him closer, feeling the different texture of the scars running the length of his thigh against her inner leg. "I know what it is," she giggled. "Your Aunt Margo put a hex on the place..."

Logan gave a small laugh. "Or maybe it's just because you still have the most beautiful face I've ever seen."

"Or maybe it's because you're the sexiest man on the planet..."

Eva whimpered softly in her sleep. They both turned their heads to look in the direction of the basket, holding their breath. She moved, rustling the covers, then didn't stir again. Max and Logan let out their breaths, relaxing into each other. Max rolled onto her other side, then snuggled her back into Logan's belly where he lay on his side, her head on his arm. She reached for his free hand and twined her fingers with his, resting his palm on her stomach.

"I love you, Max Guevara Cale," he breathed into her ear.

Max gave a small, secret smile to the night, wriggled infinitesimally closer, and relaxed into sleep.

*~*~*~

Logan awoke to the smell of frying bacon – while still not a gourmet chef, Max could at least manage that much. He was alone in the room, which was bathed in bright sunlight from the open window. Some desultory chatter filtered through to him from the kitchen as he pushed up into a sitting position and found himself stuck there – sheets wrapped around his feet like mummy bindings. He briefly wondered how that had happened, then put it down to the fun and games of the night before.

Max had picked up his clothes from the floor and left them within easy reach on the seat of the wheelchair. Logan untangled his feet and shimmied into his boxer shorts, leaving the rest of his clothes on the end of the bed. He headed straight for the shower.

Twenty minutes later, Logan, now showered and dressed, followed the aroma of the food to the kitchen.

"'Morning, sleepyhead," said Max, who sat on the end of the kitchen counter where it abutted the seldom-used side door, holding a steaming cup of coffee. Ben was overseeing the frypan on the stove, spatula in one hand. One of them had retrieved the bouncer from the storeroom in the loft for Eva, who was on the floor below Max happily banging a rattle.

"'Morning. How long've you guys been up?" Logan asked. Eva's face lit up in a gummy smile when she saw her father.

"Hours, dad," Ben responded, reaching for a mug. "We've already walked to the end of the lake and back."

Ben handed his father a fresh-brewed cup of coffee then returned to the stove.

"Wow, and you didn't even wait for me?"

"Not everyone gets to sleep half the day." Max nodded at the battered clock on the wall, which she had set the night before.

"Would have helped if you hadn't worn me out and tied me to the bed last night," Logan winked at Ben, who rolled his eyes.

Max spluttered her coffee. "Excuse me, I did no such thing."

"Coulda fooled me." He winked at Ben again.

Max shook her head in amusement. "How's the food coming, sunshine?"

"Nearly there, mom." He reached into the lower cupboard for some plates, noisily placing them on the counter.

"So, what's on the agenda for today?" Max asked.

"Need to head down to the store and buy some supplies."

"You mean, you need to go and gossip with Jack at the store," she corrected with a smile.

"Hey, I don't gossip, and you don't tie helpless ordinaries to beds."

"Mind you...you did a pretty good job of tying _yourself_ to the bed. Love to know how you got the sheet wrapped round your feet like that," she winked.

Logan gave a small, embarrassed laugh. "So would I. What else...hmm...need to do a bit of maintenance around this place before the weekend. Boat could do with a lick of paint and there's a loose board on the back porch." He counted his fingers. "Do the loft stairs need a new pull cord?"

"No, dad, the old one's still okay."

"Anything else you can think of?"

"Washbasin tap is dripping," Max looked at him deadpan.

"No it isn't." He turned to the table, which was pushed against the wall to allow easier access for the wheelchair, as Ben set a plate of food down, then immediately backed around to the drawers when he realized there weren't any eating implements.

"When's Jonas gonna be here?" asked Ben.

"Bennett didn't say," responded Logan. "Sometime tomorrow."

"They bringing the..." Max raised her eyebrows at Logan.

"Think so."

Ben's eyes lit up. "They're bringing the bikes, aren't they!! Woo-hoo!!" he whooped.

"No, I think they're bringing Marianne's grandmother instead," Logan replied. "Of course, they're bringing the bikes. What else would we do with you two terrors all day."

Ben gave him a dirty look.

Max dropped lightly from her position in the corner as Ben put the second plate on the end of the table, bringing her coffee cup with her. "So, you're off to the store...what are we gonna do with ourselves?"

"Well, you could come with me."

"I suppose so." Max replied thoughtfully. She already looked more relaxed than when they had left Seattle.

"Ben, would you be able to go up and see if there's any of that red paint left?" Logan asked. "Should be in the loft somewhere."

"Can I eat first?"

"Sure, I'm not going anywhere yet."

Logan backed up carefully and put his plate in the sink. The kitchen wasn't very large and he had to be careful to avoid the bouncer in the corner. With Bennett and Marianne there, they would have to pull the table out, which was going to make it very difficult for him to maneuver.

The cabin had originally been a one-bedroom affair, built as a hunting lodge by some Cale in times past. Logan's Uncle Jonas had converted the loft into a bedroom and proper storeroom during the 1990s as his family of boys started to grow up. The loft entrance was via a pull-down staircase, which was set into the ceiling of the living room, near the front door, accessed by a long cord. Uncle Jonas, and Logan's parents, until their deaths, had continued the tradition of using the place for both family holidays and as a hunting lodge, taking turns at staying there with all four boys...Jonas had also used it for more nefarious activities. Logan had many memories of family summers with Bennett and his older brothers, and of being coerced into creating havoc with the local wildlife by his uncle, until he eventually refused to go hunting at all. 

For weeks every summer, all the boys had crammed into the two sets of bunks upstairs, leaving the grown ups their peace and sanity downstairs at night. 

There was a long period where Logan had not come near the place, leading up to and following the shooting. Once Jonas died, however, there seemed to be no reason to stay away. Five years before, with the exoskeleton permanently out of commission, he had finally had the access ramp built. The wood construction in front of the kitchen doorway spoiled the rustic façade of the rear of the building, but when the alternative was to drag himself butt first up five wooden stairs, risking splinters in his hands and butt, practicality won out over aesthetics every time. He seldom ventured into the loft for the same reason, and had only been to the upper floor on a handful of occasions in recent years.

"Logan, will you take Eva?" Max asked, her back to him as she put her plate into the sink with a clatter.

"I guess. Give me a minute." 

Logan headed out of the room and went back to the bedroom for what Ben described as his "dorky daddy" gear – Eva's Snuggli front pack. As he had found with Ben, it was far and away the easiest and safest way for him to carry her. He leaned down to pick up the baby, straightening himself with a hand on the counter top. "Um, Ben? The paint?"

"Yeah, okay." He got up and Logan heard him pull the stairs down and clomp up. "No paint, dad. Not even a paintbrush."

"Thanks!" he responded, tucking Eva into the pack.

Max had sat down again with the chair reversed, leaning her head on her arms.

"You look flushed," Logan looked at her closely. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine." She flashed a warning look.

"You're not..." he raised his eyebrows at her.

"Could be."

"That would explain a lot then," Logan smiled grimly. "Hope it's over before the weekend."

Max still had heat cycles, although they were lessening in frequency and severity with time. They had learned to cope. Her last heat cycle had coincided with their previous trip to the cabin, which resulted in Eva. 

"You weren't joking about me burying Bast under the floor, were you?" Logan grinned.

Heat cycles were always a matter for concern. They had often resulted in multiple births among X5 females with all the consequent complications, the abnormal hormonal surge tending to cause the release of multiple ova. Considering the frequency of intercourse during these periods, Logan was surprised at how long it had taken Max to fall pregnant again, putting it down to the reduced (in fact, all but non-existent) motility of his sperm – another of the less pleasant consequences of his spinal cord injury. Eventually, he put her first pregnancy down to some lingering effects of the transfusion he had from Joshua. After Eva, though, he wasn't so sure. 

"Will you get outta here, already?" Max sighed, frustrated with herself and her botched genetics.

Logan gave her a reassuring smile, brushed a stray hair from her face gently and turned to go.


	7. Out & About

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Disclaimer: Much as I wish they were...they're not mine.

****

A/N:Many thanks to catherder and alaidh for the beta.

****

Chapter 7 – Out & About

Logan carefully parked on the main street outside the general store. The town was about five minutes from the cabin by car, up a deeply rutted track, although it could also be reached the long way round from the highway. He and his cousins had walked there almost every day of their holidays throughout their youth and knew the proprietor, Jack, well. Jack, now in his late seventies, had run the store all of his working life. He was a small-town institution and the fountain of all knowledge for the area. But there were some things even he didn't know. Logan, unloading Eva from the back seat, grinned to himself at what was about to occur.

Logan stretched up to put the capsule back into the car, having safely inserted Eva into the Snuggli. He slammed the door shut and headed up the sidewalk to the shop entrance, popping a small wheelie over the single step in the doorway.

"Hey, there, Jack," he called, hearing noises from within.

"Be with ya in a minute," came a gruff voice from the rear. Logan heard a couple of crashes and a muffled curse, before Jack emerged carrying a large box. The old man looked over the glass-topped counter and set the box down on top. He was grayer and more grizzled than Logan remembered, but his body was still straight, and he looked fit and well.

"Jack, how are you?"

"My goodness, Logan, it _has_ been a long time." Jack walked around the counter to him, a bony hand stretched out, then did a classic double-take at seeing the baby as well. Logan grabbed the hand in both of his, and shook it warmly. "And who do we have here?"

"We have Eva." Logan smiled.

"Well, what do you know. Hello, Eva." Jack grabbed one of the baby's tiny hands in his great fist and shook it gravely. Eva turned her head, looked into Jack's broad, good-natured face and grinned from ear to ear. "Well, Logan, you've done it again, surprised the old man."

"Jack, you'll never be old."

"Let me go and get Rose. Be right back."

Jack disappeared into the rear of the store again, and emerged again, propelling in front of him a stocky, gray-haired woman of about his age, wearing a floral print dress with a blue apron over it. "Oh, my Lord," she said. "It's been such a long time." The old woman's voice was sweet. "Give me a hug, you naughty boy."

"Rose, good to see you looking so well." Logan reached up to the old woman and gave her a warm embrace, careful not to squeeze the baby between them.

"May I see her, please?"

"Of course you may." Logan started to unfasten the front pack to release Eva, finally lifting the baby out and sitting her on his lap for a moment. She looked around with curiosity at the new surroundings, and, catching sight of Rose, smiled a broad, gummy grin.

"So, Logan, where's Max and that son of yours?" Rose held out her arms to take Eva from him, smoothing the baby's blonde, fuzzy hair with a work-roughened hand.

"They should be here shortly. She and Ben were going to walk…and with the state of that road currently…"

"Ah, you're still together. That _is_ good news. I feared the worst when we didn't see you for so long," Rose smiled. "And aren't you the cutest thing ever?" Eva reached out and batted Rose's mouth. "Oh, you're a cheeky girl, aren't you?" Rose grabbed Eva's hand and blew into it loudly, which produced a gleeful laugh from the baby.

"Hey, what d'ya think you're doing to my kid?" Max walked in, speaking with mock severity.

"Max!" Jack exclaimed and wrapped her in a warm embrace. "And look at this young man! Hasn't he grown." Jack enveloped Ben's hand in his own, pumping it briskly. "Rose, why don't you put on some coffee?"

"Jack, I was about to do just that. Come through, come through."

"Logan, I take it you want a few things. Want to give me the list and I'll get it all together for you?" Jack held out his bony paw once more, and Logan handed him the list he'd written the night before.

"We need a couple of extras...got some loose boards on the porch so I need nails, plus some primer and red paint for the boat, and a couple of paintbrushes." Logan looked up at Max, thinking that, for her to have arrived so soon, she and Ben must have left right after he did.

"Not a problem. Now, go on through the back and I'll be with you shortly." Jack gave him a hard pat on the shoulder.

Logan rolled through to the comfortable, familiar surroundings of Rose's kitchen. This was definitely her domain, just as the shop was Jack's. Rose already had a plate of cookies on the table and the coffee brewing. Ben was chomping on a home-made chocolate chip cookie with evident enjoyment. "Dad," he spluttered crumbs as he spoke. "How come your cookies don't come out like this?"

Logan laughed. "Well for one thing, I don't make cookies. And for another, wouldn't that spoil you for when we come here?"

"Don't you pay any attention to your father," chided Rose. "He just doesn't want to admit that someone is better than him at something." The old lady smiled broadly.

"Rose, I wouldn't even try to compete."

Jack walked in. "Where you bin all this time?" he asked.

"Oh, here and there." Logan and Max exchanged glances. "Family keeps us pretty busy."

"And where's that cousin of yours?"

"Bennett? He'll be down some time tomorrow.

"Haven't seen him in a bit either."

"He'll be here for the weekend. Want me to deliver him bound and gagged at your door?" asked Max, raising her eyebrows innocently.

~*~*~*~

Logan scooted across the back porch floor on the cushion from his chair and banged a nail into the last of several loose boards. He reached back for the chair, but stayed where he was, watching Max and Ben in the yard. Max, her hair tied back in a loose ponytail, was crouched down next to the rowboat, which the two of them had carried away from the house to the cutting stump. They had leaned it there in order to prepare it for painting. Eva sat in the stroller beside them, supervising their activities, her wide-open dark eyes not missing a move. Max was covered in dust from sanding back a few rough patches, as was Ben, and she had a spot of primer on her nose.

Logan caught Max drinking him in greedily with her eyes, and his heart lurched. He, alone, knew how much she hated this insatiable urge she suffered with regular monotony. She flashed him a smile, and turned back to the task at hand. Logan prepared to get back in the wheelchair, his task finished, then paused as he saw Max stop to listen. The next thing he knew, there was a loud pounding of feet through the cabin and Bennett's son, Jonas, tore out the back door, almost tripping over Logan in the process.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, there, what's the hurry?"

"Sorry, Uncle Logan," Jonas said, ceasing his rush and continuing down the ramp more slowly. 

"Logan!" came a voice from within.

"Out here!" he responded, picking up the hammer and box of nails and moving them out of the doorway.

Bennett and Marianne followed Jonas out the door at a more sedate pace. "Who's this? I was expecting to see my cousin, Logan, not Bob the Builder!"

"Very funny," replied Logan, once again preparing to climb back into the chair. "Good to see you, Bennett. But weren't you supposed to come tomorrow?" Logan smoothly transferred himself and placed his feet on the footrest, then leaned down to pick up the hammer and box of nails. Ben and Jonas immediately disappeared back around the front of the house, and Max stopped what she was doing to greet her brother-in-law and his wife.

"Hey, you guys, how come you're so early?" she asked, dusting her hands on the butt of the oldest pair of cargo pants she owned. She walked to the porch, pushed the stroller up the ramp, and gave them both warm hugs. Marianne, in full holiday mode, was wearing jeans and a t-shirt instead of the usual power suit. Bennett was also in casual attire. "Good to see you." She shot a slightly alarmed look at Logan, trying not to make it obvious. She was genuinely fond of Bennett and Marianne, but really, their timing could not have been worse, from her point of view.

With a roar, the two boys appeared around the side of the house again, riding a pair of matched trail bikes, heading off in a cloud of dust. "I hope they take pity on the local wildlife," laughed Logan. "So what are you doing here, anyway? We weren't expecting you yet."

"Well," said Marianne. "My trial finished early, and Bennett decided he wanted out of the office...so here we are."

"Well, glad to see you, anyway. Come in and I'll make some coffee," said Logan, leading the way in the kitchen door.

Logan filled the kettle with water and put it on to boil. One of the comforts the cabin lacked was his expensive coffee machine. "We're slumming it with instant, sorry."

"Instant is fine," replied Bennett, pulling up a chair and sitting down. "Good to get away. Cale Industries is a bit tense right now, but the new operations are almost in place now so I can afford to take a few days off."

The two women wandered through to the living room with the baby.

"So, who'd you leave in charge?" 

"James," he responded simply. "My big brother may not be the biggest brain in the business, but at least if things get too hot, he'll call for help." Bennett indicated his confidence by removing the phone from his pocket and placing it on the table.

Logan nodded and turned to put the hammer and nails back in the cupboard where they belonged. "Just as well I bought plenty of food." 

"Sorry if we caught you by surprise. Thought you'd be happy to see us."

"Bennett, it's always good to see you. You're the only Cales I have any time for, and well you know it."

"What's with the Bob the Builder stuff? You're no carpenter."

"Wouldn't want anyone to fall over a loose board. They wouldn't enjoy the trip."

Bennett laughed. "I tried to call you earlier."

"Got my phone switched off – boss's orders."

"And the phone here?"

"Must've been while we were out."

"And how're Jack and Rose anyway?" Bennett guessed accurately.

"Good. They'd like to see you." The kettle clicked off and Logan turned his attention to pouring. He put the four cups on a small tray with a plastic-covered plate of Rose's cookies and gestured for Bennett to precede him into the living room. 

Max and Marianne were quietly talking. When the men entered the room, Max immediately excused herself and went to wash up, leaving Marianne holding the baby. Logan looked at his own hands, covered in grime from the floor and figured maybe he should do the same. He found Max, her face dripping, leaning over the basin, a picture of abject misery.

"You okay?" he asked, coming alongside her.

"Dammit, Logan, I love Bennett and Marianne, really I do, but why'd they have to be early this time?" She thumped her fist on the vanity unit in frustration.

Logan sighed and closed his eyes. "It'll be all right, really it will." He held out his arms to her.


	8. Game Set Match

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Chapter 8 – Game, Set, Match

Bennett and Logan were outside on the back porch, Bennett leaning on the railing and Logan beside him, each holding a beer. They had been playing darts and the board still hung from the wall outside the kitchen, Logan's final bull's-eye dart protruding from the center. The evening light was soft, the sun catching the side of the distant peak across the lake. A slight breeze rippled the water. From time to time, the faint murmur of voices and the occasional electronic beep from the upper level indicated that the two boys were engaged in battle with their Game Boys.

Max and Marianne had a meal under control in the kitchen. Spaghetti – good, basic, holiday fare. The gourmet meals were kept for home. 

Max walked out the kitchen door onto the porch and came up behind Logan, resting her hand on his shoulder and massaging gently. "Dinner's nearly ready. May as well come in," she said, then went back into the living room through one of the cabin's many external doors to call the boys.

*~*~*~*~

Jonas and Ben were finally in bed, if still awake, and Eva was asleep. Logan and Max sat side-by-side on the sofa with Bennett and Marianne sitting opposite them in the armchairs, each holding a glass of port, the bottle between them on the coffee table. Max was feeling very jumpy: she periodically wriggled in her seat and kept darting quick glances at Logan. She suddenly stretched and yawned expansively. "I'm tired, I think I'll turn in," she said, looking sideways at him.

"I'm pretty beat myself," Logan responded, taking her cue. "Think I'll join you."

Bennett, knowing his cousin and Max well, looked at his watch, then at the two of them in puzzlement. It wasn't even 10:30. He shrugged and looked at Marianne. "We may as well go to bed too," he said. 

Logan transferred and headed for the closet to get them some sheets, pillows, and a quilt, while Bennett and Marianne moved the coffee table and put the sofa cushions on the other chairs so they could fold out the bed frame within. Max was already industriously brushing her teeth. He followed her into the bathroom, then took his time. 

He entered the bedroom and shut the door firmly behind him, seeing Max already in bed, still fidgeting and wriggling as she waited for him. When he finally lay beside her in the bed, she almost pounced in her eagerness. Logan held up a hand to stop her, saying, "Whoa, whoa, whoa, wait a minute, don't be in such a rush."

"What?!" she hissed in frustration.

"Just give me a minute here, I need to say something," he said, quietly but firmly

She lay on her back, arms crossed angrily.

"Let me ask you this. Do you want another child right now?"

She looked at him, a frown creasing her brow, and shook her head. "No, not right now. Maybe in a bit, but not right now."

"Max, we had unprotected sex last night. Now, I know the motility of my sperm is not terrific." He grimaced slightly. "But, are you prepared to take the risk? The fact that you're in heat increases the odds, don't you think? And it only takes one super-charged wriggler…" He looked at her, concerned. "We thought it couldn't happen again...but it did..."

"You're right."

"Don't get me wrong, I'd love more kids, but I don't think I want to go through what happened with Eva again just yet."

"Okay. So…"

"And I'm not in too much of a hurry to have twins, either."

"Twins? Oh my, I forgot about that."

"Hold out your hand." He placed a small package in her palm. "Okay?"

"Okay," she smiled. "Now, can we have Max and Logan getting' busy?"

"As busy as an X5 knows how," he smiled.

~*~*~*~

Bennett and Marianne, lying together in the next room, had to suppress their giggles at the noises from the bedroom. Bennett was still trying to come up with a smart comment to make to Logan the following morning when he eventually nodded off to sleep.

~*~*~*~

Logan woke early to find Max sitting cross-legged on the bed, facing him, feeding the baby. The sun was barely up, but the day promised to be warm and sunny.

"Morning, old man," she said facetiously.

"Morning yourself, and who are you calling an old man? I kept up with you last night, didn't I?"

"Guess you're not so old after all," she smiled happily. "Nothin' like scratching that old itch. The edge is off for now."

Logan looked relieved. "Just as well. Still, it was fun while it lasted."

Max leaned forward and smacked his arm.

"Hey, that hurt!"

"It was meant to. That remark was so…male."

"All the same…" Logan looked up at her, admiring her perfect body. She was clad only in Logan's old red bathrobe, which gaped open at the front enticingly as she leaned over the suckling baby.

"What?"

"What? Nothing." Logan feigned innocence. "Just…ah…admiring the view."

She looked down and wrapped the robe closer around herself. "Go back in your cave, Flintstone."

*~*~*~

Bennett and Marianne were woken when the two boys tumbled down from their loft and ran outside about an hour later. Logan had showered and was engaged in making pancakes for breakfast. Max was still puttering in the bedroom. Bennett wandered into the kitchen in his under-shorts and a t-shirt.

"Morning, cousin. You two kiddies have fun playing indoor sports last night?"

Logan blushed bright red and shrugged. "Well, there's no TV..."

"Guess you're as good at bed golf as you are at darts." Bennett winked at him.

Logan gave Bennett a smug look. "As long as the shaft is firm, the balls are in place, and the owner of the course gives permission to play through."

"And as long as the course isn't under repair."

"Slow play is definitely encouraged," Logan grinned.

"I take it that you can play the same hole several times over in one match?"

"That would be considered an outstanding performance, provided the course owner gives you permission and you have the correct equipment."

Marianne wandered into the kitchen, curious, having overheard the end of the conversation. "What in hell's name are you two guys talking about?"

"Oh," Logan responded airily. "Bennett was just boasting about his golf handicap."

"Bennett doesn't play...oh..." She blushed. "Boy talk. I get it." Marianne laughed, embarrassed. "Well, I better leave you alone. You're not fit company for a lady."

"No, it's okay. Logan was through, er, boasting about his prowess."

"Aww, Bennett, you know I'm only telling the truth." Logan stretched back, putting his hands behind his head, and grinning broadly.

Marianne shook her head, amused. "Men!"

"That's for sure," added Max from the doorway. "We shouldn't let 'em outta their caves. Boys back yet?" Max, leaning against the doorframe, held Eva comfortably on her hip.

"Ah, no, but they shouldn't be too much longer. In fact..." Logan opened the door. "Looks like they're coming now," he said, seeing the two figures walking up from the lake. "So, what's on the agenda for today," Logan asked over the small mountain of pancakes he was stacking.

"Well, if it's okay, Marianne, I thought we might take the kids on a hike and leave you two Flintstone types to do some male bonding, or whatever it is you do."

"You gonna take all the kids?"

"Yeah, why not?"

"No reason." Logan paused thoughtfully, then did a mime of casting out a fishing rod. "What d'you think, Bennett?"

"Sounds good to me."

"Okay then."

Max filled the kettle one-handed and started making coffee for them all as the two boys pounded up the ramp and entered the kitchen to a cacophony of greetings.

Logan turned away from the stove with the plate of pancakes on his lap and plonked it loudly on the table, where it joined the maple syrup and other condiments. "Come on, people. Eat up."

"Guys, how would you like to take a hike today?" asked Max a few minutes later. "Marianne and I thought we'd take you up into the hills."

Both boys turned shining faces in Max's direction, where she stood near the sink pouring boiling water into coffee cups. "That'd be great," responded Jonas.

"Thanks, Mom, Aunt Marianne," said Ben.

They finished breakfast and quickly cleaned up the kitchen. Max and Marianne gathered up the gear they needed for the hike, and bundling Eva into the Snuggli, took off with Ben and Jonas, leaving Logan and Bennett to decide what male bonding rituals they would pursue that morning.


	9. Gone Fishin'

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Disclaimer: Not mine…boo hoo.

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A/N: Once again, thanks to The Almighty Betas, catherder and alaidh.

****

Chapter 9 – Gone Fishin'

Logan looked up at the cloud-free sky where it peeked between the spreading branches of the trees and cast his line into the stream one more time. The fish weren't biting, but it was pleasant to be out in the fresh air, enjoying his cousin's company. They had driven from the cabin to this spot some two or so hours earlier. This had been one of their favorite fishing places when they were young, and still was. The location, with its expanse of pebbly riverside, overhanging branches, and access along a rough track leading gently down to the sloped riverbank, was remote enough to remain private without being too far off the beaten track.

Bennett, his stance relaxed, was about 20 feet upstream from Logan, standing ankle-deep in the water in his waders, and watching the rippled surface where he had just cast his line. He looked over at Logan and started reeling in quickly. He dug the end of his rod into the pebbles of the bank, standing it upright, and walked back, seating himself on the grassy edge where the bank began. "Time for a break," he said, digging into the fishing basket for the salad rolls and a drink.

Logan hauled in the line quickly, deciding to join him, and forced the chair over the gravel and onto the edge of the grass. Bennett lazily tossed him a plastic-wrapped roll and a can of soda, before stretching himself out on the grass to eat. They enjoyed a companionable silence, broken only by the lapping of the water and the calling of a few distant birds. 

__

Logan's father held his hands in place on the fishing rod, guiding his movements in a practice cast. "This is the way, son," he said, "smoothly. Don't jerk the rod or you'll get a tangle." Bennett's two older brothers snickered between themselves, making Logan flush uncomfortably. He squirmed out of his father's grasp, determined to do this by himself. Logan Cale, senior, sensing his discomfort, stepped aside and let his son have his way, watching as the line flew out. He gave a satisfied grin and walked back to his nephew, Bennett, who sat on the fishing basket waiting.

Logan's rod jerked once, twice, three times, as the fish took the hook. "Dad, I got one!"

"Lotta good memories about this place," Logan commented eventually.

"Yeah," Bennett responded, rolling onto his back and tipping his hat over his eyes for a nap.

*~*~*~*~

Max slowed her pace to match Marianne's, aware of the other woman's lesser capabilities. The two boys had run ahead, down the well-marked hiking trail. They would wait at the next fork in the path. Even burdened as she was with a large pack of food and drinks and a baby, Max barely raised a sweat. Had she needed to, she could have kept up a faster pace than this for a whole day with very little after-effect. Marianne, carrying the baby bag, kept up a reasonable pace here on the level ground, but once they headed into the hills, Max knew she would soon slow down.

Max and Marianne had done this walk with the boys on several occasions, although not in the last fourteen months. Despite the differences in background and occupation, the two women had formed a friendship, particularly once the boys had come along.

Jonas and Ben were as inseparable as their fathers, and from toddlers had left a trail of mischief in their paths. Marianne had returned to work when Jonas was a year old, having eventually decided to set up her own small legal practice. She took on what cases she felt had merit, a lot of them for little or no recompense. She had made a name for herself as being willing to go all-out for the underdog – much as Logan did with Eyes Only, but less clandestinely.

When Max had been terrified at the thought of her approaching motherhood, Marianne had been able to see her through a difficult time when Logan and Original Cindy's reassurances had failed.

__

"Every woman is scared by this, Max," Marianne said, sitting beside her on the sofa. She took Max's hand and held it to the swelling of her belly, only slightly larger than Marianne's own.

"Marianne, I never had a normal childhood. I never knew my mother, had a family."

"Do you love this child?"

"With all my heart." Max looked at her helplessly.

"Then you'll do fine," Marianne smiled. "I'm scared, too, you know, and I had a normal family upbringing. Max, motherhood is something you learn as you go along, and from what I've seen, everyone does it differently. There are no hard and fast rules. You may not have had a normal childhood, but at least it's taught you what it shouldn't be like. You have so much to give." Marianne paused a moment. "Max, I really believe you'll make a great mom."

Marianne had come to the hospital and stayed in the waiting room with Original Cindy the whole night that Ben was delivered. Logan had held Max's hand, while Aveta, at Max's request, assisted the doctor, but knowing that Marianne and Original Cindy were there had also helped. Max had to smile at the thought of Original Cindy and Marianne spending so much time in each other's company – wondering whether they had found any common ground. Their steadfast backing had helped to hold Max's panic in check. Max had done the same for Marianne some eight weeks later when Jonas was born.

Motherhood had forged a bond between the two women, that strengthened the already strong ties between Logan and Bennett.

"Marianne," Max asked suddenly, spotting the boys up ahead. "Why haven't you and Bennett had more kids?"

"Never seemed the right time." She turned a frank look on Max. "What about you? Why did it take you so long?"

"Wasn't for want of trying," Max grinned.

Marianne laughed, thinking of what she and Bennett had overheard the previous night. In a way, she was a little jealous of Max. She and Bennett were happy and settled in their marriage, but after some fifteen years, they had settled into a comfort zone in their relationship, whereas Max and Logan were still obviously deeply infatuated with one another. Maybe it was a result of all they had been through in order to be together in the first place, but the first joy that being together had brought never seemed to wear off. Whatever it was, Marianne envied their closeness.

"We never did anything to prevent it – just never happened. Something to do with my screwy genetics and Logan's..." she hesitated, unsure whether to go on.

"Max...I know a bit about spinal cord injuries...the consequences."

"Okay, so you know the crazy-ass way it affects things."

Marianne nodded.

"So...it just took a while...conditions had to be dead right...ya know?"

"Sometimes things are meant to be, and sometimes they aren't."

"Right."

*~*~*~*

"Hey, wake up, lazybones." Logan poked Bennett's shoulder.

"Huh? What?"

"You've been asleep for hours."

"I have?"

"Yes, you have." Logan looked at him and grinned tolerantly. "While you were snoozin', I caught us some dinner." He held up half a dozen good-sized fish, already prepared for cooking.

"You crafty pain in the ass. You did that on purpose, didn't you...let me snooze while the fish were biting?"

"Come on, we'd better get home – there's a storm coming." Logan nodded in the direction of a large, black thundercloud, that had rolled into view from behind the mountains.

*~*~*~*~

Max gave the sky a concerned look. The impending storm was closing in rapidly. She upped the pace a bit. "We better get a move on. That's not gonna hold off for long," she said quietly to Marianne. They had lunched by a stream, feasting on crusty bread rolls and bottled water, then Max had picked up the change in the atmosphere and she had immediately started scanning the skies. When the first cloud made its appearance, she gathered up their belongings and the baby, and set them on the trail home.

*~*~*~*~

Logan parked the Aztek outside the kitchen just as the first fat drops of rain started to fall. Bennett grabbed the gear and fish from the back of the car, while Logan hurriedly assembled the wheelchair and made a dash for the porch. He spun at the top of the ramp, hearing the first crack of thunder. Turning to enter the living room, he noted with concern that the cabin doors were still closed – Max and Marianne weren't back. He opened the door and let Bennett in first, turning one more time to scan the strip of lakeshore he could see, then shook his head. He knew Max had enough sense to take shelter, if need be, but couldn't help being concerned.

He turned and headed inside as the thunder drew ever closer. 

An hour later, with the others still not back, Logan was definitely worried. Max had her cell phone, but it was way out of range, and, in any case, reception at the cabin was erratic at the best of times. Every few minutes, he headed out to the porch and scanned the horizon. Bennett had also tried to contact Marianne, but with no more luck than Logan. Eventually, Bennet grabbed a kitchen chair and the two of them sat on the porch, side-by-side, silently watching and waiting.

It was a relief when they saw the four bedraggled figures, one holding a jacket tented across her front, walking up from the north end of the lake. Bennett immediately went inside for some towels, which he handed out to the dripping women and boys as Max handed Eva to Logan and stripped off the backpack. Eva was the only dry member of the group – barely a drop of rain had touched the soft, blonde down on her head. Like Ben, she was a combination of both her parents, showing the promise of Max's looks with her father's coloring, except for the dark eyes, which had been almost black instead of the more usual blue when she was born. They had now faded to dark brown.

"Worried?" Max asked.

"No, we always sit out here during thunderstorms," Logan responded, dryly.

"Sorry...storm came in too fast." Max vigorously dried her hair with the towel.

"I know," he replied. "We saw it coming."

Marianne started to shiver – she was very wet and a stiff breeze had blown up. Bennett took her inside as a large flash of lightning lit the sky. The two boys ran in and headed straight to the loft to get changed, while Marianne went to the bathroom to warm up in the shower. Max, relieved to be back, occupied the chair Bennett had vacated, leaning her elbows on her knees, her hair hanging in damp ringlets.

"Guess we should have checked the weather forecast."

Logan turned the chair one handed, the other holding the baby in place, edging close to her. "It's okay. So…what…you're gonna shrink from getting wet?" he smiled.

Max looked at him balefully, choosing to ignore the joke. "How was your day?"

"Ah, brought home the bacon, I did."

"Really? And this bacon has, what, scales instead of skin?"

"Yeah, it does."

"So, why aren't you cooking, then? Don't know about you, but I'm starving!"

"Me too." 

"Come on," she said, standing and taking Eva from him. "I need to get changed. I feel kinda like a fish myself." With that, she turned, and entered the cabin. She headed for the bathroom as soon as Marianne was out, handing Eva to her for safe keeping.


	10. Blessed Again

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Disclaimer: Don't own 'em...wish I did...ain't never gonna happen.

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A/N: Thanks again to my good friends, the Almighty Betas, alaidh and catherder. You're doing a great job of beating the aussie out of me. Also, thanks to Lelu for the typo which gave me Laren. And as stated previously, if any one has anything they would particularly like to see, just let me know in a review or an e-mail and I'll see what I can do.

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Chapter 10: Blessed Again

Logan rolled out of the bedroom with the laptop on his knees, looking at Max for approval before he went any further. When she nodded, he headed into the kitchen and set the computer up there. Max was lying on the rug in front of the empty fireplace playing with Eva. Jonas and Ben were upstairs doing electronic battle with their Game Boys again. Bennett and Marianne had left for home an hour before. Jonas was staying the rest of the week with his aunt and uncle. They left the trailer with the bikes behind. The rain still tumbled down outside, not having let up for more than five minutes since the previous afternoon.

While the computer booted up, Logan filled the kettle to make coffee and stared out the back door of the kitchen at the pouring rain. Earlier, he had caught the weather forecast on the radio, hearing that it promised to be a fine day tomorrow.

The computer beeped and he turned and went back to the table, logging in quickly. While his e-mail came in, he made coffee for himself and Max.

He leaned one elbow on the table comfortably and tracked through the incoming mail, eventually stopping at a message from Matt Sung.

__

Logan

This came in the other day and I thought you'd want to see it.

Matt.

Logan opened the attachment quickly, his curiosity piqued. Matt didn't often correspond by e-mail except to send documentary evidence, and then he usually called first. The detective was cautious about leaving a trail of any kind. They mostly kept in contact by phone.

__

Detective Sung

I'm sending this to you as I have been told that you know how to contact Eyes Only. Five years ago today, Eyes Only saved my only daughter from disappearing out of the country at the hands of white slavers, saving her and breaking a child smuggling ring. He made sure she was returned to me, and gave us the means to start a new life, far from Seattle.

I have wanted to thank Eyes Only ever since, but was only recently given your name as a possible contact.

I would like you to pass on our heartfelt thanks to Eyes Only. We are doing well. Laren graduated top of her class and is now a pre-med student, hoping to become a surgeon. I am so proud of her and her achievements. She is the first member of my family to have finished high school.

Words cannot express how thankful I am to still have my beautiful daughter. I will always be in debt to Eyes Only.

Profound thanks.

Elli Gladstone

Logan sat in front of the computer, a goofy, satisfied grin on his face, thinking, _This is what makes it all worthwhile_. He vaguely remembered Elli, quick-moving care-worn woman in her mid-forties, with short graying hair. She had sought out Eyes Only through an advertisement in the newspaper when the Seattle police had been unable or unwilling to help her, following her daughter's disappearance.

He had met Elli Gladstone at a coffee stand in one of the markets in Seattle. She was tiny, barely shoulder high to him as he stood beside her in the exoskeleton. She spoke quickly, recounting her story in a high, anxious voice. Her daughter had gone missing two weeks before on her way home from school. The police had investigated but said there was nothing more they could do, that Laren had probably run away. Her mother was adamant, and was later proved right, that her daughter would never do such a thing. 

__

"My daughter's a good girl, Mr Cale. She wouldn't run away." Elli handed him a photograph of a pretty teenager with straight, brown hair tied into two braids, and wide-set blue eyes.

"May I hang on to this for now?" Logan asked.

__

Elli hesitated, then nodded.

Three days later, Logan had lost control of Bessie after a tire was shot out, resulting in a high-speed collision with a bridge. Gem and Asha, in another vehicle, had gotten the half dozen or so missing children away, while he and Alec drew off the pursuit in the opposite direction. He vaguely recalled Alec pulling him from Bessie and into the bushes before the car burst into flames. Their pursuers sped past and didn't return, assuming they were incinerated in the car. Logan remembered nothing more until he woke in the hospital 48 hours later with Max holding his hand.

*~*~*~

Max walked into the kitchen, Eva loosely held on her hip. "Coffee? Weren't you making some?" she asked.

"Uh…yeah…I was," he replied, distractedly.

"What's up?"

He leaned back in the chair and smiled up at her. "Look for yourself." Logan unlocked the brakes and backed out of the way.

Max pulled up a chair and sat off to one side, reading quickly.

"Oh, yes, I remember her."

"You should," Logan replied spooning coffee into the cups. "You set up the documentation to get 'em out of Dodge." Logan turned his head and flashed her a grin.

Max gave him a broad smile. "Kinda nice to know it all worked out."

"Yeah."

"So…what's wrong?"

"Nothing…nothing at all…really."

"Logan…spill it."

"Well, it wasn't really Eyes Only, was it?" He picked up a coffee cup and handed it across to her, then handed her a second one for himself.

"Logan, when will you work this out? Eyes Only is more than just you. It's a team effort. You may be the Eyes, but look at the help you have…the backing. You have all the informant net, me, the facilities and usefulness of Gem and Alec," she grimaced at the irony of that. "And Asha's team…Matt…"

"I guess. And I guess if Alec hadn't been around that night, there wouldn't be an Eyes Only at all, not any more."

Max looked at him somberly. "I'm glad he was. Alec may be a total pain in the ass, but he has his useful moments."

Logan looked at her and grinned. "Yeah. Still," he gestured at the computer screen. "This is what makes it all worthwhile – knowing I…knowing we…made a difference."

"Logan, you've always made a difference. You were making a difference when I first dropped through your skylight," she said, turning her head to look out the door. "Hey, rain seems to be easing up."

"Yeah, right, I guess," Logan responded thoughtfully.

"Yeah, right, you've always made a difference, or, yeah, right, the rain seems to be easing up?"

"Both." He looked over his glasses at her and smiled. "Maria." He said the name and watched for Max's reaction. Maria was one of Max's proudest achievements – an abused orphan she'd rescued from Langford Prison. Max looked back at Logan, smiling shyly, then she glanced down at Eva's blonde head where she nuzzled her mother's breast, obviously hungry. Max comfortably rested her left foot on the seat of the chair nearest the one on which she sat and settled herself to feed the baby. Maria had finished her schooling in the care of Logan's friends, and had become a teacher. She was now living somewhere in the midwest with a husband and a crop of growing boys.

"She sure was an EO success story. I don't think you could have found her a better home. I wish I could have done as much for Lucy…way back when…"

"Well, we can't do it all, not all the time."

Max gave a short laugh. "And when did you finally realize this piece of wisdom, Mr Cale?"

"You've been trying to beat it into my head for the last 15 years, Mrs Cale."

"What, you just realized I spoke the truth now?"

Logan responded with an amused smile. "No, I took off the Halloween mask some time ago, Max." He rested his hands on his thighs. Max studied his hands briefly. He had the most beautiful hands she'd ever seen – fine-boned, long-fingered, and strong. Musician's hands. 

"Took your time about it," Max grinned.

"Habit of a lifetime," he responded, opening the next e-mail.

"Yeah, I know, with family like yours, yadda yadda. Speaking of Halloween, when we get back home, can we lose the piece of modern art in the bedroom? Five years is long enough."

Logan looked at her in puzzlement.

"Exoskeleton? Ring any bells?"

"Oh, that," he frowned. "What's that got to do with Halloween?"

"Nothing, nothing at all. Just reminds me of one of those weird costumes…just a bit," she smiled.

"Do what you like with it." A look of longing briefly crossed his face.

Max compressed her lips. "Now, don't go all angsty and anguished on me. Done that before, remember?"

"Yes, ma'am." He gave her a mock salute.

She shook her head, amused, then gave him a speculative look. "I feel like kicking your ass at chess. Wanna take me on?"

Logan sighed thoughtfully. "Give me a minute," he said, looking up from his reading.

"No rush. Madam isn't finished yet."

"Well I am," he said, starting to shut down the computer.

"All quiet?"

"Nothing that can't wait."

"Good, then maybe you can put Eyes Only back in the box for the rest of the week."

"I think maybe that could be arranged."

She smiled sweetly.

Logan closed the laptop with a snap and took it back to the bedroom. Rolling into the living room, he grabbed the chess set from the magazine stand and set it up on the coffee table. Hearing Max's footsteps, he turned to see her heading into the bedroom. When she came back out alone, he raised his eyebrows and asked, "Asleep?"

"Yes. Probably be up all night," she sighed.

"Nah – country air. Does it every time."

"Really?"

"Yes, really. Now, you gonna kick my ass? Must be all of five minutes since you did that last."

"Don't mind if I do."

She comfortably settled herself on the sofa across from Logan, and girded her loins in preparation for battle.


	11. Cabin Fever

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Disclaimer: As I have said the other ten times…they aren't mine, I wish they were, but I put them in my sandpit and I'm gonna play with them.

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A/N: Thanks to catherder and alaidh for betaing.

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Chapter 11 – Cabin Fever

Max sat on the couch with her legs crossed under her, studying the chessboard closely. Logan sat on the opposite side, resting his chin on his hands, elbows on his knees. They had moved one of the armchairs out of the way to allow him the space to draw near to the coffee table. "You gonna move or what?" he asked.

She picked up a piece and moved it. "Check."

Logan sighed. "Guess that's one more to you."

"What, you giving up?" Max asked as he straightened and started packing the chess pieces back into the box.

"Three games to one is enough of a beating for my ego for today." He looked up from packing up the board as the phone began to ring in the kitchen.

"Well, while you nurse your ego, I'll go and answer the phone," she laughed, uncurling herself.

Logan watched her go, admiring the jauntiness of her gait, the way she swung her hips as she walked. He continued to pack up the chess set, listening with half an ear to Max's conversation as he did, trying to figure out who was at the other end of the phone line.

"Sure...okay...yeah, if that's what you want to do." Max giggled. "Well, you always did bring out the beat in him, boo."

Logan looked at Max and mouthed the question, "Original Cindy?"

She nodded back to him.

He finished packing up the chess set, then went out on the rear porch to check on the weather again. The rain was definitely easing; in fact, had slowed to a light drizzle. He looked at the dartboard, still hanging where he and Bennett had left it two days before, with the final projectile protruding, and decided to pack that away as well. As he came back inside, he heard Eva starting to stir and went into the bedroom. He awkwardly reached up into the bassinette and picked her up.

"Oh-oh. Somebody needs changing," he said, reaching for the pack of disposable diapers on the floor. He lay her on his lap for a moment as he crossed to the bed in order to change her diaper. Vaguely, he could hear Max still talking on the phone. Original Cindy was still her best friend and confidante. Logan, in return, appreciated Cindy's forthright honesty and up-front manner, taking seriously her threat that she would "put the smack-down" on his ass if he so much as harmed one hair on Max's head. Cindy still occupied the apartment on Waverly, but, along with the majority of the old gang from Crash, had given up her job with Jam Pony. She was now employed as a beautician, a job that seemed to suit her. 

Logan busied himself with changing the diaper as Max chatted with her friend.

When Max hung up the phone, she wandered into the bedroom doorway, and propped herself against the frame, one hand on her hip.

"How's Original Cindy doing?"

"She's good."

She came into the room and flopped on the bed, stretched, then rolled onto her side, resting her head on her hand to watch what he was doing.

"You gonna give me a hand here?" he asked as Eva tried to wriggle out of his grasp.

"You seem to be doing just fine without me," she smiled.

He looked over his glasses at her, re-buttoning Eva's jumpsuit by touch as he did. Eva rolled over onto her tummy, facing her mother, pushing herself up with her arms. Logan looked at his daughter fondly and patted her well-padded behind. "I do believe you are going to be crawling soon, young lady." He reversed away from the bed and went to dispose of the diaper and wash his hands. When he returned, Max was still stretched out on the bed and Eva was still doing baby push-ups.

"Is this rain ever gonna let up?" Max asked, rolling onto her tummy.

"Supposed to be better tomorrow," Logan responded. "Cabin fever?"

"Yeah, you could say that," she gave a wry smile.

"Well..." Logan pondered a moment. "We could go into town for a while. I could kick _your_ ass at pool." He winked at her, then not waiting for a reply, rolled out into the living room. "Ben! Jonas!" he called up to the loft. 

"Yeah!" came a reply, then the two pairs of sock-clad feet came into view. The boys peered down at him. 

"What's up, dad?" asked Ben.

"Get your shoes. We're going out."

"Where're we going?" asked Jonas.

"Into town."

*~*~*~*

Logan parked the mud-spattered Aztek outside the bar. While he waited for Max to bring his chair around, the two boys tumbled out of the back seat and made a quick beeline for the sidewalk, where they waited under the awning. While Logan transferred, Max settled Eva in the stroller and joined them there. Once they were ready, Max led the way into the bar and, while they waited for the pool table to be free, they occupied a row of stools at the bar. Logan smoothly transferred up onto the end stool, nodding to the barman. He ordered sodas for the two boys and beer for himself and Max, and settled to watch the game at the table, between two of the locals.

"So, you in town for long, this time?" the barman asked, cleaning the area in front of Logan and Max.

"Just for the week."

"Ah."

"Good to see you, anyway, Brett," Logan smiled over his beer.

The two men at the table put their cues back on the racks and came up to the bar. One of them banged his fist on the counter-top for attention. Brett automatically handed them beers and continued wiping the bar.

"You boys finished with the table?" Max asked.

"Sure, go ahead," replied the shorter of the two.

Max racked the balls while Logan transferred. Ben and Jonas got down, and pushed the stroller across into the corner by the table. Max looked at Logan coyly, "Okay, boys, who's gonna partner me?" 

"I will, Mom," replied Ben, selecting a cue.

"Guess that means you and me, Jonas." Logan was comparing cues. He handed one to Jonas, keeping the last one for himself.

"Sure, Uncle Logan." 

Max hung the triangular rack back on its hook and looked at Logan slyly. "Mind if I break?" she asked, leaning over the table to position the cue ball.

"Go ahead," he gestured, smiling.

There was a clatter as she broke open the packed balls, leaning forward over the table to present Logan with a view of her ass. He backed up slightly, taking a wicked delight in the view. Max sank a couple of balls before miscuing. Jonas was next. Max leaned back against the bar, sipping her beer, as Jonas took aim. They all had made frequent use of Bennett's pool table, and as a consequence, the two boys were quite good for their respective ages, although Ben had a slight edge. Logan, who had been something of a hustler in his youth, was still an excellent player, and Max could seldom best him. He regularly frustrated Alec, as well, who didn't take kindly to being beaten by a guy in a wheelchair. If the lack of elevation caused by his seated position was a hindrance, he seldom gave any sign. Jonas sank two balls before caroming one off the side of the table. Ben did likewise. Then it was up to Logan to clean up the rest, which he did with style. Logan gave a satisfied smile as the last ball dropped into the end pocket, then, to Max's great amusement, jumped as a gnarled hand came down on his shoulder.

"Still hustling pool, I see," came Jack's voice from behind him.

"Old habits die hard. You know that," Logan replied, turning to face his friend.

"I sure do. Come over when you're done here."

"We will."

Jack grabbed the bottle he'd come for and headed out the door.

"Okay, Max, rack 'em again." Logan backed up to the bar and took a swig of his beer, casting a glance at the rednecks in the corner, who seemed to be setting up an arm-wrestling contest.

"Yeah, and this time, _you_ break!" Max flashed him a cheeky grin.

"Think it'll make a difference, do you?"

"I know it won't," she responded. "Just playing fair."

They swapped partners, with Max taking Jonas and Logan partnering Ben. Once again, Logan's superior ability showed, and he finished the game by cleaning up the table. By this time, the two boys were eyeing the arm-wrestlers with great interest, and there was a growing group of onlookers, each anxious to take their turn.

Max bought them all more drinks, which she took to one of the small tables, rather than the bar. She pulled Eva's stroller close. Max examined the two combatants in the corner closely. Both looked like laborers – weather-beaten, fit men in their late twenties or early thirties. She gave Logan a speculative look. He was nearly 46 but, other than the flecks of gray in his hair, looked ten years younger. Fifteen years in a wheelchair had given his upper body definition. He had a slim, athletic build, but was deceptively strong, a fact which was further hidden by the baggy sweater he was wearing. 

Logan caught her looking at him and smiled uncertainly, not sure what she was thinking. The two boys stared at the contest in the corner unashamedly, then decided to have a go for themselves, making use of a corner of the square table at which they were sitting. Max jumped as Ben slammed Jonas' hand to the table. Jonas had forgotten how much stronger Ben was, and for his part, Ben just didn't know his own strength. Jonas wrung and shook his hand ruefully.

"Hey, that wasn't fair. I wasn't ready," he protested.

Ben just laughed.

"Ben, that wasn't nice," warned his mother.

"I'm sorry, Jonas. I forgot." Ben looked contrite. "Hope I didn't hurt you."

"Um...Uncle Logan?" Jonas looked up at his uncle.

Logan turned his green eyes on Jonas. "Yes, Jonas?"

"Why don't you have a go?"

"Me?"

"Yes, Logan, why don't you?" asked Max.

"Well, it's not really my thing."

"Logan, you spent half your time in college hustling pool. Don't tell me you didn't engage in other time-wasting pursuits as well."

Logan gave her a withering look, and responded by snapping the brakes on the wheelchair and rolling over to the game. He watched as the stockier member of the pair from the pool table went through a couple of opponents without difficulty, the small stack of cash beside him gradually growing. When the next fist was banged down on the table, Logan propelled himself forward.

"Yeah?" the guy raised an eyebrow in enquiry.

"Is this exclusive or can anyone join in?" Logan asked.

"Be my guest." He gestured to the space opposite, looking Logan up and down, obviously deciding he was a total sucker. Logan placed a bill on the pile.

The other man positioned his arm while Logan pulled the chair out of the way and drew in close to the table, locked the brakes with a snap, and linked hands with him, carefully settling his elbow in position for maximum stability and leverage. Logan's opponent had obviously underestimated him, as his expression changed from smug to grim. Logan's eyes fixed his with a glittering, intense stare. The man was strong, but so was Logan, and in the end, it was Logan's greater stamina that made the difference as he slowly wore his opponent down. 

Max was on her guard as the banter around them died off. She left her position at the table and drew near the group in the corner. For a moment, she regretted urging Logan to do this, remembering another bar in another time and place, where the end result of a friendly game of pool had been a pissed-off Logan dumped on his ass on the floor, and her wielding a pool cue like a quarter-staff against a group of local bad guys.

Logan eventually touched his opponent's knuckles to the table and released his grip. Both of them smiled.

"Oh, man, did I underestimate you!" the younger man said, rubbing his hand.

"That's the thing," Logan responded, flexing his own hand. "Using a wheelchair builds upper body strength."

"Will Johnson," the younger man said, offering his hand.

"Logan Cale."

"Cale? Ah...your family owns that cabin out by the lake."

"Yes, yes we do."

"I wondered what that ramp was for when I built it. Now, I guess I know."

"Yeah," said Max. "I got sick of picking the splinters out of his ass every time we stayed here." Max put a proprietary hand on Logan's shoulder. 

"My wife, Max." Logan introduced her. "You're the carpenter?"

"_Have Wood Will Travel_, that's me."

"Nice name," Max replied. "Logan, I think we should get going."

Logan unlocked the brakes and started to back up.

"What about this?" Will gestured to the pile of money on the table.

Logan looked at the bundle and hesitated. "Drinks are on me for tonight. Later." He nodded and made his departure. 

"Come on, boys," called Max. "We're going. Bring your sister, Ben."

They headed out the door and out onto the street. Max waited until they were a short way up the street before she started to laugh. The rain had stopped and there was even an insipid evening sun peeking through the clouds. Logan stopped and half turned to look at her as she cackled and crowed.

"What is so funny?" he demanded.

"Sorry...just relieved," she gasped. "I was just suddenly reminded of what happened the first time some redneck in a bar ogled my ass in your presence."

"Ah...different redneck, different bar."

"No, different _you_." The two boys exchanged looks – not knowing what the adults were talking about. Max caught the look and decided to explain. "He took offense at some guy who said I had a nice ass and ended up dumped on the floor. He forgot I don't need defending," she winked at them.

"Well, thank you for totally embarrassing me."

"Oooh, still touchy about it?"

"No," he said, shortly, pushing off again and almost rolling right past Jack's shop. Max, more alert than Logan, stopped and knocked loudly on the locked door. "And what do you mean by different me?"

"You may not realize it, Logan, but you've changed since then. Back in Cape Haven...well...you were real pissy that weekend. You weren't facing up to your feelings. Weren't being honest with yourself or me. I kinda had hoped we'd hook up that weekend."

"So you've said to me before...I really don't know what I hoped would happen that weekend."

"Well, at least that's honest," she grinned and banged on the door again. "Yo, Jack! Rose! You gonna let us in?"

"Coming, Max," came Jack's voice. "Just had to find my keys." There was a rattle, and the door opened with a creak. "Come on in and make yourselves at home."

Jack conducted them through the shop into the dwelling beyond. Rose greeted them at the kitchen door, giving both boys a hug and sending them into the living room to watch TV (something they were without at the cabin). "Now, you will stay and eat with us, won't you. I made plenty."

Logan inhaled, catching the aroma of roast and vegetables. "Not even wild horses could drag us away."

Max's response was warm. "Of course, we'll stay. Couldn't miss one of your special Sunday roasts."

Logan smiled with pleasure, anticipating an evening of good food and congeniality with his old friends.


	12. Goodnight Sweetheart

****

Disclaimer: The usual applies – not mine, wish they were.

****

A/N: Thanks to catherder and alaidh for the beta.

****

Chapter 12: Goodnight Sweetheart

After a pleasant evening spent in the company of Jack and Rose, they eventually drove back to the cabin some time after midnight. The clouds had completely disappeared, blown away by a steady breeze. Jonas and Ben were yawning in the back seat, ready for sleep. With the promise of a fine day to come, they had said they wanted to make use of the good weather by taking the bikes out early.

Once they were inside, the two boys went straight to bed, leaving Max and Logan to putter about for a while before doing likewise. Eva hadn't even stirred as Max carried her from the car to the bassinette. Max reflected that Logan might have been right about the effect of country air – she found that she always slept more at the cabin than anywhere else.

Logan soon followed Max into the bedroom, and stripped to his boxers in preparation for bed. Max had changed and was wearing the red bathrobe again. Logan made a mental note to buy another red bathrobe because it was starting to look threadbare. While he transferred into bed, Max went into the kitchen, and came back carrying a glass of milk.

"You okay?" he asked, in quiet concern at the change of routine.

"Logan, I haven't had a seizure since my last stay at Manticore, way back when. You know that. I just felt like a glass of milk," she said, drinking it down quickly as she sat on the side of the bed. She handed him the glass to put on the bedside table, shed the bathrobe, and slipped into bed beside him. Logan pulled her close, her head neatly fitting under his chin, and heard the rustle of sheets as she settled herself comfortably, molding herself against his body. "Night," he said softly.

The last thing he remembered, she grabbed his arm and pulled it across her body in a loose embrace. "Night," she murmured in reply.

When Logan awoke, it was still dark. Max had left the bed, obviously some time before, because the sheets were cool to the touch. He rolled onto his back and looked at the clock, which read 4:00 am. He lay for a while, staring at the shadows on the ceiling. Eventually, he gave up trying to sleep for the time being. He propped himself up on one elbow, looked across the room, and saw that the bassinette was empty. He assumed that was the reason for Max's absence. He transferred and pulled on a t-shirt. Max wasn't in the living room, although the lights were on, but he noticed that the old, wooden, rocking chair from the far corner of the room was gone. Opening the back door, he heard a quiet, "Hey, you."

"Hey, yourself," he replied, rolling out the door. "What're you doing out here?"

"Night was too good to waste on sleep," she smiled, the filtered light from inside reflecting off her teeth as she turned her head to talk to him. She had placed the rocker at an angle, but close enough to the porch railing that she could rest her feet on the bars. She was rocking the chair back and forth as she fed Eva.

"I didn't hear you get up."

"That goes without saying. It's called paternal deafness. Marianne tells me that most men suffer from it." There was a hint of amused sarcasm in her voice.

"Remind me to thank her for that." 

Logan caught the flash of Max's smile again. She sighed. "It's lovely out here tonight."

"I know." He looked at her curiously. "One of the reasons we came, remember?"

Max gazed out at the lake, shining black in the distance. There was a loud plop as a fish jumped.

"That sounds like dinner," she quipped.

"Hardly. Wanna finish the boat first – see if she's seaworthy." He joined her in staring out over the water.

"Ow!" Max's sudden, outraged yelp startled him out of his reverie. "That was naughty, miss." She sat the baby up on her lap.

"What?"

"She bit me."

"Ouch."

"Kid may not have any teeth, but it still hurts."

It was Logan's turn to smile. Eva held out her hands to her father, demanding that he take her, and she gave a gummy smile. He took her from Max and sat her on his lap, leaning her back against him, with one hand wrapped protectively around her middle. Max stood and walked into the kitchen, returning a moment later with a bottle of water, from which she took a long drink. They sat in silence for a few minutes before Logan gave a stifled yawn.

"Hey, why don't you go back to bed?"

"Only if you go, too."

She gestured at the wide-awake child on his lap. "She might have something to say about that."

"Max, there's room in the bed for three, and she might be more inclined to sleep if there's less intellectual stimulation." Logan grinned at the irony of that statement. It was hard to imagine a less stimulating scene. The night was totally peaceful, with barely a breeze and not even much in the way of animal noises.

"Yeah, right." Max rolled her eyes slightly.

A few minutes later, all three of them were snuggled up in the bed together. Eva was lying on her back between her two protective parents, kicking her feet and the summer-weight quilt in the air, and chomping down on one small fist. She gripped her father's finger with the other.

Max ran her hand down the side of Logan's face, feeling the smooth skin of his temples, then the stubble of his two-day growth of beard, ending at the point of his chin. She gave him a luminous smile.

"Penny for them?" Logan asked.

"Counting my blessings," she responded.

Logan pondered that for a moment. "Do you ever stop thinking about her?" Logan's eyes bored into her, glittering black orbs in the dim light.

"Who?"

"She'd be almost twelve by now..."

Max sighed. "I know..." She blinked, close to tears, thinking of the baby they lost so long ago, the baby that should never have been. The baby that her screwed up immunity wouldn't let them keep. How much her life had changed since those grim days in early 2022. "But we have this little girl, now..."

"Yup. Children – family – home – number one on the list of blessings."

"That's for sure. Family and home are number one with me," Max smiled. "Never thought I'd ever say that."

"Max, your family was always number one, why else did you spend all that time looking for your siblings?"

"Look what it got me."

"Well...some families are trouble. You know that."

"Yeah…but some are more trouble than others," she grinned.

"And which family are you referring to here?" Logan raised an eyebrow at her.

"Both of 'em, but mostly mine, I guess. They've both tried to kill us, but mine has also tried to mangle us, take us prisoner...and just plain get us and themselves into trouble."

"Well, that's true." He looked down at Eva, who had finally let go of his finger. Her eyes were closed in sleep, the long lashes casting shadows over her cheeks. "Well, look at that. What did I say about lack of stimulation?" He smiled down at the sleeping baby.

Max quietly snorted through her nose. "Mr Know-it-all. Well, come on, little girl, let's put you in your own bed so your mama and papa can get some rest." She was always cautious about sleeping with babies, having heard from Aveta several horror stories of sleeping parents accidentally rolling on their children and smothering them. Logan tented the bedclothes with his arm so she could gather the baby up. She padded across the room and deposited Eva in the bassinette, staying there until she was sure Eva wasn't going to stir. Then she came back to the bed, dropping the bathrobe at its foot in passing. She curled up with Logan again, melding their two bodies together.

"'Night," Logan murmured softly in her ear for the second time that night.

"'Night," she replied, staring into the darkness.


	13. Off the beaten track

****

Disclaimer: Not mine, yadda yadda…

****

A/N: Thanks to the Almighty Betas, alaidh and catherder. This chapter is a little bit different…enjoy! BTW, any Aussies out there of a certain generation may recognise the title of this – sorry, no Leyland Bros (LOL).

****

Chapter 13: Off the beaten track

Max was first up, as usual, and, feeling disinclined to wait for Logan, she took the wakeful Eva and headed into the kitchen. The two boys, already dressed, made their appearance downstairs a few minutes later.

Ben gave his mom a hug and helped himself to the cereal. 

"How come you two are up so early?" she asked.

"We were awake," replied Jonas, standing over the toaster.

Max looked out the window at the clear, blue sky, and nodded. "Okay. Be careful on the bikes."

"Always, Mom." Ben looked up at her over the cereal bowl.

The two boys zoomed off twenty minutes later, one of them carrying a pack with their lunches. 

After Ben and Jonas left, Max sat quietly in a chair for a while, idly stirring the remnants of her coffee, and staring out the door. Eva, already fed, was in the bouncer chewing on a rattle. Coming out of her reverie, Max drank the rest of the coffee in the cup, picked up the baby and headed into the bathroom.

A few minutes later, Logan entered the bathroom to find her on her knees, leaning over the bathtub, bathing Eva, who was protesting mightily at having her face washed.

"Morning, ladies," Logan said, leaning forward to fish around in the cabinet for his shaving gear. He had planned on showering first, but since the cabin's shower was over the bathtub, and the bathtub was in use, he decided to reverse the order of business.

"Morning, sleepyhead," responded Max, lowering Eva, supported by one hand, onto her back in the shallow water of the bath to wash her hair.

"Did I hear the sound of motorbikes earlier?"

"You did."

"Okay..." Logan worked the soap into a lather with the shaving brush and proceeded to apply it to his face. He shaved quickly and efficiently, and then waited as Max lifted Eva out of the bath, wrapped her in a fluffy towel and, holding the baby against her shoulder, pulled the plug. She got to her feet in an elegant, sinuous movement as the water drained. Finally, she set the plasticbath seat, which had originally belonged to Logan's arthritic grandmother, back into place one-handed, making sure it was secure. "Thanks."

"Service with a smile," she replied with a slightly distracted air. "Friendly, courteous, and kind. That's me."

"Well, let's not go overboard," he grinned.

Max swatted his shoulder in passing and left him to shower. When Logan wheeled into the bedroom after his shower, Max had Eva dressed and sitting on her lap. She sat on the edge of the bed running a comb through the baby's downy hair. She sniffed the air. "Mmm, you smell nice."

"Thanks. You eaten?"

"Just had some coffee."

"Ah...then I think a special breakfast is in order."

"Sounds good to me." 

*~*~*~

After they had eaten Logan's special omelette for breakfast, they spent the morning working on the boat together, finishing off the work that Max and Ben had started before the weekend. By the end of the morning, the small rowboat had been completely covered on the outside in primer and, if all went well, would be ready for a new coat of red paint the next day. The inside of the boat would do for now – it was generally left upside down, so the interior wasn't exposed to the weather.

The rain of the previous few days, coupled with a few hours of sunshine, had made the weather humid. Logan was quite glad to take a break in the middle of the day for some lunch and a cool drink. Max was seldom bothered by even the most extreme climatic conditions. He envied her lack of concern as he scratched his head, which was itchy from wearing a baseball cap. Max cleaned the paintbrushes and cleaned up outside, while Logan put together sandwiches and drinks for them to eat out on the porch.

Eva had happily played and rolled on a rug beside them all morning. She had been quite happy to be left to her own devices as long as her parents were in view. 

They sat together on the porch to eat, taking advantage of the shade and a slight afternoon breeze coming from the lake. Max, sitting in the rocker again, munched her sandwiches while she nursed Eva, legs crossed at the ankles, her feet resting on the top bar of the railing. The former cat-burglar immersed herself in her role as earth mother – Bast in yet another of her multi-tasking guises.

The serenity of the familiar scene kept them quiet. The view over the water to the not-so-distant mountain was spectacular. Max happily fixed her eyes on the distant peaks and absent-mindedly rocked the chair.

Logan was inside cleaning the lunch plates when Max's acute hearing picked up the distant sound of a lone trail bike approaching at speed. She perceptibly straightened and tuned her ears to the fast-approaching bike, scanning for a sighting. She was already on her feet when Ben, on the trail bike, hurtled around the side of the cabin and came to a skidding halt in front of her, his face white.

"Mom, Jonas fell over the edge!" The panic was near the surface in Ben's voice.

"Ben, is he okay?"

"He hurt his ankle. He can't get back up and I couldn't reach him."

"Logan!" Max called urgently.

"I'm here Max." Logan was already out the door.

"Did you hear?"

He nodded curtly and rolled straight down the ramp, pivoting neatly at the bottom to end up beside the passenger door of the silver Aztek, Bessie's replacement, facetiously christened "Bessietoo" by Max.

He opened the door and reached into the glove compartment, extracting a small tracking device. Max had followed him to the car, Eva held on her hip. Logan turned his head and looked at his wife. "Put her in the car," he said, shutting the door. "You go with Ben, I'll track you and follow as closely as I can."

Max nodded and strapped the baby into the baby seat in the back. She opened the hatch and grabbed the length of rope and the small medical kit, which were always there, while Logan checked the batteries on the tracker. Logan handed her the device and she put both of them into the back pack from the back of the car, which she slung over her shoulders, then climbed on the back of Ben's trailbike.

"Be careful, both of you," Logan cautioned.

"Always." She flashed a grim smile, and Ben peeled the bike out in a spray of pebbles.

Logan went back inside for the laptop and his carkeys and quickly transferred into the car. He hooked up the laptop to the accessory socket and booted it up, immediately logging into the tracker program. He set the open computer as securely as possible on the seat beside him, started the engine, cast a quick glance over his shoulder at the baby, and drove off in the same direction as Ben and Max, following their trail as closely as he could on the rough 4WD tracks.

*~*~*~*~

Ben drove the bike along a winding trail through a sparsely forested area, heading ever upward. He knew the way well, having been there many times with both Max and Jonas, although Max hadn't been there since she and Logan had last visited the cabin. Ben had come with Marianne and Bennett the previous year, when, with Max pregnant with Eva, she and Logan had chosen to stay in Seattle. 

At last, they reached the top of the hill, where the woods opened up onto a bare knoll. The top looked safe enough, but Max knew that at the far side was a terraced area with a sharp drop-off and that the surface was badly eroded with crumbling, pebbly edges. She could see the other bike on its stand near the drop.

Max cautiously approached the edge, noting the marks on the lip where Jonas had slipped and fallen. "Jonas!" she called.

"I'm here!"

"Are you okay for now?"

"Yeah, I think so. I hurt my ankle when I fell."

"We're gonna get you. Just be patient."

"Okay!"

Max looked around her, considering her options. The ground was clear and the nearest tree was on the far side of the clearing. There was nothing to which she could conveniently secure a rope: not a rock, not a stump, not anything. She dropped the backpack on the ground, considering the two trail bikes, but dismissing them as being too light. That was when she heard the metallic chink from the pack. Rummaging in the bottom, she came up with two metal tent pegs, remnants of a long-ago camping trip. That gave her the idea. She banged the tent pegs into the ground using a rock, and threaded and knotted the rope through them, testing it carefully for security.

"Ben, I need you here!" She tied the nylon rope around herself. "I'm going down to Jonas. I need you to watch and if you see either of these coming loose, tell me immediately."

"Okay."

She tested the pegs again, leaning back and pushing with all her strength, and satisfied they should hold, started over the edge. Ben crouched by the "pitons", doing as he was asked. 

"Everything okay up there?" Max was halfway down and had Jonas in sight.

"Fine, mom."

She let herself lightly down to the ledge beside Jonas. He was sitting with his back against the cliff-face on a wide ledge, looking shaken but otherwise intact.

"Hey, you. Let's see about getting you out of here."

Jonas gave her a watery smile.

Max turned, admiring the view. High places held no fear for her.

"Don't let this turn you off climbing," she smiled.

"Sure. Gonna take up mountain-climbing tomorrow."

She gave a snorting laugh, and crouched beside him. "Let me see that ankle."

Jonas obligingly pulled up the leg of his jeans. Max felt around the joint and gently manipulated his foot, eliciting a wince.

"You're lucky. I think it's just sprained." Max looked up, hearing the sound of a car engine.

"Dad's here!" shouted Ben.

"Okay! We need him to come over as close as he can. It'll be easier if he can pull us up."

"Okay, Mom."

There were some noises from above. "Max, are you okay down there? I'm untying the rope." Logan's voice sounded from above.

"We're fine!"

Max undid the rope from herself and started to tie both herself and Jonas together in a rough safety harness, more for Jonas's peace of mind than anything else.

"Max! We're just about ready up here."

"Okay, Logan. Get Ben to spot you. Slowly!"

Max picked up Jonas, holding him in her arms, ready to be hauled up. The car started with a roar and she felt the slack in the rope taken up and the pull as they were dragged up the cliff-face. She fended them off the wall as best she could with her feet, hearing Ben's voice as he called instructions to his father. At last, they made it over the lip onto solid ground again.

Logan waited while Max untied the rope from herself and Jonas, then drove back to where he had left the wheelchair, not having bothered to break it down again after tying the rope to the back of the car. Ben left his mother for a moment to push the chair closer and allow his father to transfer then went back to her and Jonas, hovering anxiously. Logan untied the rope and coiled it up again. Max had Jonas's shoe and sock off and was checking his ankle again.

"What's the verdict, doctor?"

"Think it's just a sprain."

"Okay. We'd better get him back to the cabin so we can ice it." 

"Yeah. Open the door of the car. Jonas, can you stand and lean on me, or do you want to be carried?"

Jonas gave her a dirty look. "I can walk."

"Good." Max helped him to his feet. Jonas put an arm over both her and Ben's shoulders and limped to the car, settling himself on the back seat with the injured leg resting on the seat, as much as possible with the baby seat there. Eva was complaining at being left on her own for so long, but Max gave her some attention and she soon calmed down. 

Logan was in the car, ready to go. Max leaned through the window to speak to him. "We'll see you at the cabin." She kissed him firmly on the lips, then backed away so he could drive off. Logan smiled, nodded, and started the Aztek, heading back the way he had come.

Max watched him drive off then turned to Ben. "Okay, young man, I want to know how this happened." She looked at him sternly.

"Mom, he just got too close to the edge." There was a faint whining tone to Ben's voice, that pricked at Max's radar.

"Really?"

"Yeah, well..." Ben's face scrunched up a bit.

Max raised her eyebrows in disbelief.

"Well, actually, we both were too close."

"Uh huh. I thought so. Well...can't say I haven't gone close to the edge a time or two, myself. I hope you've learned something from this."

"Yes, mom." Ben sounded chastened and subdued. He had had a severe fright.

Max walked back to Jonas's bike, grabbing Ben's backpack as she went, and pushed it off its stand. "Race ya back?"

Ben's face lit up, and he mounted his own bike. They roared off down the track together.


	14. Home again, home again, jiggety jig

**Disclaimer**:  As usual – not mine, wish they were *sigh*.  Same goes for anything from VS3.

**A/N**:  Thanks to catherder for the beta.

Chapter 14:  Home Again, Home Again, Jiggety Jig 

Logan was first back to the cabin, due to his head start..  Jonas had been quiet and tense all the way back, gritting his teeth at every bump.  "You okay back there?" Logan had asked his nephew several times.

Logan pulled up close to the ramp, transferred into the wheelchair, and backed up to the rear door, which he opened in order to talk to his nephew.  "How are we gonna do this?" he asked Jonas.  "I could carry you in..."

Jonas gave him a dirty look.  "I can walk, Uncle Logan."

"Not on that ankle, you can't," Logan responded automatically.  "Here, get on my lap.  No one can see you."

"But what if..."

"There's no one else here.  Now, look, Jonas, you need to stay off that foot.  I mean it."

Jonas shrugged, conceding defeat, and slid off the seat, gasping in pain as he accidentally put his left foot on the ground.  He cautiously sat on Logan's lap, for the first time since he was a toddler, and allowed his uncle to give him a ride into the house.  Logan was surprised as how heavy the boy was, guessing that he weighed as much as, if not more than, Max.  He settled Jonas on the sofa and wheeled into the kitchen to find something cold – settling on a bag of frozen peas, which he wrapped in a dishtowel.  He handed the cold pack to Jonas and went back out for Eva, just as Max and Ben roared into the yard.

Max parked the bike and came over to Logan, who was unstrapping Eva from the baby seat.  She leaned over Logan, plucked the baby from his grasp, and plopped down onto his lap.  Ben gave them a quick glance and went straight into the cabin.

"Well, that was fun," she commented, eyes shining and hair windswept.  "How's the young man?"

"He'll live."

Max smiled and gazed deep into his eyes.  Her eyes, behind the sunglasses, gleamed brightly and her face glowed.  Logan held both Max and Eva in a loose embrace, then being unable to resist the invitation in Max's eyes, kissed her deeply.  Finally, he broke away.  "Up," he said, patting Max's butt affectionately.  "You gotta patient to see to."

"Field Med 101.  Did that at Manticore."  She grinned wickedly, tweaked his nose, stood, and walked off into the cabin with the baby. She gave a quick flick of her hair as she went, leaving Logan wondering what had just happened.  He collected the computer from the front seat and followed her in more slowly.

Max was sitting on the coffee table talking to both boys when Logan came into the living room.  She had Jonas' foot elevated on some cushions and was issuing instructions to them both with regard to the icepack.  Logan listened with half an ear as he packed the computer away again.  Toward the end of the discussion, he came into the living room and drew near.

"Helluva way to spend a holiday, Jonas.  Did it myself when I was about your age," Logan said.

Jonas turned an enquiring glance on his uncle.  

"Jonas, I wasn't always in a wheelchair."

"I know, I just forgot."

"Yeah."  Logan paused for a moment.  "Anybody hungry?  Coz I sure am."

He turned and headed for the kitchen.  Max followed him a few minutes later.  She automatically started chopping the onion he'd placed on the counter, while he rummaged in the cupboard for a frying pan.  "Should we call Marianne?"  Logan asked.

"She's gonna call tonight, anyway," replied Max.

"Okay...kids..." Logan sighed.

"Were you and Bennett any better?"

"No...well...yes...no, probably not," Logan grinned, thinking about some past escapades.   "It's the parents' curse, ya know."

"What?"

"Having kids who act just like you do."

"What does that mean?"

"Something my mom used to say.  'When you grow up, I hope you have children who act just like you do.'  It works."

Max smiled.  "Wouldn't know."

*~*~*~

When Marianne rang some time after dinner, Max took the call and explained what had happened, before taking the handset of the cordless phone into the living room so Jonas could talk to his mother without moving from the sofa.  Jonas, judging by his silence and the occasional rolling eyes, was at the wrong end of a long lecture on personal safety.  

*~*~*~

The rest of the week passed in a blur.  Jonas insisted on hobbling around the next day.  They got the boat launched, and Logan and the boys spent some hours fishing on the lake.  One afternoon, Max and Logan left the boys with Eva and took a solo row, which ended up with them both freezing cold and wet, when Max managed to overturn the little vessel.  They both laughed hysterically all the way back to the shore.

It was a shame to have to pack up and go home on Saturday, but with the rest of the summer stretching ahead of them, there would surely be more opportunities to get away.

"I really would like to know," said Max, dumping the last bag into the back of the car, "why it is that the stuff always takes up more space when you go home.  I mean – it's the same stuff, right?"

"Yeah, I think it expands in the country air," Logan smiled.

Logan transferred into the car and waited while Max stowed his wheelchair before he drove around the front of the cabin so she could hook up the trailer with the two trailbikes.  She walked through the cabin, chasing the boys out, locking windows and doors.  Eva was already in the car.

Twenty minutes later, they were on their way home, once again, struggling to drive through the weekend traffic.  The checkpoints were no more, but between the badly degraded roads and Saturday markets, it seemed to take hours to get across town to drop off Jonas and the bike trailer, and then travel back to Sector 9 and home.

The vacation was great, but it was still good to unlock the door to the Penthouse and come home.  Logan was itching to power up the computers and see what the informant net held for him, but he had made a promise to Max several years before, which he had mostly kept, that whenever they came back from a vacation, the informant net would wait until the next day – even if that meant one minute after midnight.

After unpacking his bag, Logan started on some domestic chores.  He threw a load of dirty clothes in the washing machine and did an inventory of the kitchen cupboards – writing a shopping list for the following day.  Max, after hassling Ben into doing his own unpacking, left Eva on the living room rug, where Logan could just see both her and Ben from the kitchen.  Ben was lying on the rug next to her watching TV.   Max went back down to the basement, returning with a trolley borrowed from the doorman, and a large crate inscribed A-504.1, which she took straight through to the bedroom.  Logan looked up curiously as she passed through with the squeaky trolley.  He left the shopping list on one of the counters and followed her into the bedroom.

"You're not wasting any time," he said quietly.

"Might as well strike while the iron is hot," she responded.  "You're okay with this?"

"Yeah.  I doubt if it'd be any good to me now, even if I _could fix it."   Logan grimaced slightly at the painful truth._

"Ya never could dance worth a damn in this thing anyway," Max grinned, trying to lighten the mood. "Kept stepping on my toes.  It's a wonder I don't have feet like Donald Duck."

"Gee, thanks.  And here I thought you loved me for my moves on the dance floor."

"You're welcome."  She started to lift the mannekin bodily to put it in the box.

"Hold up a bit."  Logan stopped her with his hand, seeing something in the crate.  He leaned down and picked up a yellowing scrap of paper, reading:

_"SORRY IT'S ALL BUSTED UP, _

_BUT IF YOU CAN FIX IT, _

WHO KNOWS? MIGHT HELP YOU 

_GET FROM HERE TO THERE."_

"Whatcha got there?"

"Note from an old friend," he said, folding the piece of paper and sliding it under his leg, for want of a convenient pocket.

"Outta the way now, bozo.  Gonna put this thing where it belongs."

Logan raised an eyebrow.

"In the darkest corner of that locker that I can find."

Logan had no response to that, so he turned and wheeled back to the kitchen, while Max rolled the trolley out the door.  Once Max was gone, he quickly went to his office and put the note in the filing cabinet, out of sight.  He looked at the bank of computers for a moment, then backed out, firmly shutting the door, determined to keep his word to Max.

He joined Ben in front of the TV in the living room.  Eva was on the floor beside her brother, gradually rolling toward the edge of the rug.  Even without crawling, she was getting quite mobile, and her dark eyes missed nothing.  Right now, those dark eyes were focused on her father, demanding to be picked up.  Ben turned his attention away from the screen for a moment.  He automatically picked up the baby and handed her to his father, then rolled back on to his tummy, feet in the air, chin on his hands, and resumed watching.

Logan held Eva in such a way that she more or less stood while he held her, pushing her feet against his legs, doing deep knee bends.  She happily bobbed up and down for a few minutes, babbling as she danced.  Max came back and joined them, sitting on the back of the couch – a habit she had fostered since one of her first visits to the apartment way back in 2019.  It was a new, although similar, couch – brown leather with a soft, padded back.  

"Mission accomplished?" Logan asked over his shoulder.

"Would I be here if it wasn't?"

"Just asking."

"Would you mind if I went over to Joshua's for a bit?"

"No…why would I mind?"

"Well, he hasn't seen madam for a while and, well, you know how much he loves babies…"

"Oh, you're asking if I mind you taking the car?"

"Yes."

"Go ahead.  Ben, you want to go, too?"

"Yeh, sure.  Elfie might be there," he said.

"Gonna be back in time for dinner?"

"Got anything special planned?"

"Not yet, but I might go out for a bit – see what I can get at the supermarket."

Max looked at her watch.  "Don't leave it too long."

"Have fun."

"Always."  She dropped a kiss on top of his head, and gathered up Eva.  Ben stood and followed her as she detoured to collect the baby bag, then went out the door.  Like most kids, Ben had neglected to turn off the TV. Logan did it for him, pondering what to make for dinner.  Coming to a decision, he turned and headed out the door.


	15. Old Friends

**Disclaimer**:  Alas, not mine, and neither is VS3.

**A/N**:  Thanks to alaidh and catherder for the beta.

**Chapter 15:  Old Friends**

The drive across town to Joshua's house didn't take Max long.  The big transgenic was watching for them through the window of the dwelling which, while appearing decrepit from the outside, had been gradually repaired and refitted on the inside.  Joshua had made it his home since his escape from Manticore, except for the several months he had spent as a resident of Terminal City.  Joshua had made a life for himself as a painter, scratching a living doing murals on office buildings and schools, or doing whatever work for whomever would pay him.  Gem and Elfie had lived in the house with him for a long time, only moving out when Elfie started school.  The nearest school was quite some distance from Joshua's house and from the detective agency, Sublime PI, which she and Alec still ran.  Gem and Elfie had moved closer to Sublime and to the school down the road from there.  Elfie was now an attractive teenager, fair like her mother.  Gem and Elfie still spent a lot of time with Joshua, as did Max.

Joshua opened the door and invited them in, giving Max a big hug.  

"How you doin', big fella?"  she asked.

"Good.  How you doin', little fella?" 

"Really good."

"You have a good time at the cabin?"

"Yeah, we did."

Joshua gravely shook Ben's hand.  "How you doin', littler fella?"

"I'm good, too, Uncle Joshua," Ben replied.  "Is Elfie here?"

"No, not yet.  She will be soon," he said, looking out the door curiously.  "Where's Logan?"  Logan only occasionally came to Joshua's house as he objected to the tendency Max and Joshua had to haul him up the front steps bodily, chair and all, rather than wait for him to haul himself up on his hands and butt.

"He didn't come today, big fella.  I wanted you all to myself."

Joshua grinned and gave a snorting laugh.  "I want you all to myself, too."  

*~*~*~

Logan wheeled himself two blocks down the road to the little supermarket and spent some time choosing a few items to throw into a spur-of-the-moment-culinary miracle.  He selected some anemic-looking vegetables and various other items to add to the chicken pieces he'd pulled from the freezer.  He also picked up what appeared to be a homemade apple pie for dessert.  

As he pushed himself back into the apartment an hour or so later, he could hear the phone ringing.  However, by the time he got to the dining room, the ringing had stopped.  There was no message, so he shrugged and started on dinner.

The phone rang again as Logan was filling a pot with water to boil rice.  He quickly shut off the faucet and went to answer it.

"Hello," he said.

"Hey," came the familiar voice of Original Cindy.  "Max there?"

"No, Cindy, she went over to Joshua's.  Try her cell phone."

"Na, it's okay, I'll catch her later.  Just wanted to make sure ya got back."

"All right.  I'll let her know you called."

"You do that, hot boy."  

Logan grinned at Cindy's pet name for him.  "Later, then."

Logan turned to go back to the kitchen, but pulled up abruptly when the phone started ringing again.

"Hello."

"Is that Logan Cale?" came a male voice, which seemed somehow familiar to Logan.

"Yes," he replied cautiously.

"Logan – how long has it been?  It's Campbell...Campbell Emerson."

"Campbell?"  Logan searched his memory for a moment.  "It must be twenty years.  To what do I owe the honor of this call?  How'd you get my number?"

"I'm in Seattle – thought I'd look you up – catch up on old times."

"It's been a long time, Campbell."

"Hey, it's been a busy twenty years.  What can I say?  Listen, I'd really like to see you."

Logan sighed.  "Okay," he replied cautiously.  "What did you have in mind?"

"You free this evening?  No romantic entanglements...other engagements?  Thought we could meet somewhere for drinks."

Logan grinned to himself.  "Why don't you come here?"

"You still living in the same place?"

"Yeah, why?"

"No reason."

"Campbell, spill it."

"It's just that I heard you had some trouble a while back and had to move out, but I may have gotten it wrong."

"Campbell – don't believe everything you hear.  "

"I don't."

"I'm still in the same place.  See you around...eight."

"Okay, see you then."

Logan smiled as he ended the call, thinking it could be an interesting evening.  He had met Campbell at school, and while they had hung out in some of the same circles, they had never been especially close.  However, if Campbell wanted to renew contact, then Logan was prepared to give him the benefit of the doubt – or maybe it was just simple curiosity.  Either way, Logan wanted to find out if there was a reason the guy wanted to see him.

By the time his family walked in the front door an hour later, Logan had dinner prepared, the table set, and had even had time to shower.

Max strode in, sniffing the air appreciatively.  "Mmmmm, that smells good."

"What, no 'hello, how are you'?"

"Uh-uh.  Feed me.  This is one hungry X5."

"Go sit.  It's all ready.  Ben, come and give me a hand."  He turned away, then stopped.  "By the way, Original Cindy called."

"I'll call her back later.  Right now, I'm the famine victim and I need to eat."

*~*~*~

Logan, as always, had been fascinated by the amazing position into which Max had twisted herself to sit at the dinner table, with one leg bent under her, Eva perched on her leg, loosely held by her left arm.  The gymnastics that she had been forced to do as a child – one of the few things she had enjoyed – still paid dividends in later life:  she was incredibly flexible.  As soon as she had finished eating, Max called Original Cindy, which was Logan's signal to clear the table.  

While Max chatted with OC, Logan and Ben stacked the dishwasher and started the apple pie warming in the oven.  The dishwasher was the one change that Max had insisted upon in Logan's pristine kitchen.  

"I ain't no galley slave," she'd responded when he asked why.  "I'm all for shared labor, but the you-cook-I-clean thing is for the birds."  

With a baby on the way, it had been a no-brainer, and now he wondered why he hadn't had one installed in the first place.  Once the kitchen was more or less tidy, he sent Ben off to do whatever he wanted and went to join Max in the living room.  She had settled into her favorite corner of the sofa with her legs curled up beside her, Eva at her breast.

"You…haven't asked after Joshua."

"I was about to.  How _is_ Joshua?"

"He's just been given a big commission," she said, smiling happily.

"Really?"  Logan raised his eyebrows curiously.

"Yeah, some company called Cale Industries wants him to do a mural for their new office downtown."

Logan smiled, pleased.

"Did you have anything to do with that?"

"Well – I might have said something to Bennett about getting someone in to jazz the place up a bit.  Can only stand so much of that institutional beige, you know."  

Their eyes met and they both smiled.  Logan's attention was dragged away by the ringing of the doorbell.  "You expecting someone?" Max asked, curiously.

"That would be yes."

She raised an eyebrow mischievously.  "Wow.  Better go let 'em in before they run away," she said.  She adjusted her top to cover herself a bit better, not wanting to expose too much flesh to Logan's guest, not even while feeding a baby.  She recalled, with a bit of a grin, reading an article about women in previous centuries who had to use a handkerchief or scarf to cover themselves when they fed their babies.  Such modesty was now all but unheard of.  All the same, she covered herself a bit better, not wanting to shock Logan's guest or embarrass Logan.

Logan spun around and went to answer the door.  Campbell had his hand poised to push the button to ring the bell again when it magically opened away from him and he was left staring into space.

"Logan?" he asked, surprised at having to look down.

"Campbell, come on in," Logan responded, backing out of the way, but also seeing his former school friend's obvious shock.

"What the..."

"Hell happened?" Logan finished for him.  "I was shot.  It was a long time ago."

"I'm sorry – I didn't know."

"That's obvious," Logan exhaled sharply. "Don't just stand there, Campbell, I won't bite.  Come through.  I have someone I'd like you to meet."  

Logan led Campbell through the apartment.  The place hadn't really changed much – Logan had had the damage done early in the previous decade by an over-enthusiastic Ames White and his NSA team repaired, and there were alterations made because of his injury and his growing family. However, all in all, there were few changes from when Logan had first bought the place in his early twenties.

Max looked up as the two men entered the living room.  She took in their guest at a glance, seeing a short, heavy-set guy with one shoe that squeaked on the floorboards, contrasting sharply to the near silent humming of Logan's wheels.  He had a pleasant, if pudgy face, pallid from being indoors, and wore wire framed, round glasses.  His hair, obviously once dark brown, but now mostly gray, was a slightly receding frizzy mess.  It all combined to give him a mad-professor type look.

"Max, this is my old friend Campbell Emerson," said Logan.  "Campbell, this is Max."

Max looked at Campbell curiously.  "Hey, Campbell."

"Campbell and I went to school together," Logan continued by way of introduction.

"Oh," Max's eyes became huge with surprise.  "Okay."

"Hello, Max, was it?"  Campbell was obviously impressed.  He hadn't taken his eyes off Max for an instant.

"So, you knew Logan at school?"

"Yes, and he always had the most beautiful girls chasing him."

Max grinned, unable to imagine Logan as a schoolboy, but definitely able to imagine him being chased by girls.  

"I guess nothing has changed," Campbell added.  "Excuse me, Max, but why do I get the feeling I've seen your face somewhere before?"

"Ah, you've found out my guilty secret," she said, grinning wickedly.  "I was Playmate of the Month in October 2021," she quipped.

To Logan, the thought of Max doing a magazine spread was just too funny, although she was certainly _his playmate of choice._

"Cam, what are you doing here in Seattle?" asked Logan, gesturing for him to sit.

"I'm...here for a conference of sorts – just company business really."

"Logan," Max admonished, "Aren't you going to offer your friend a drink?"

"Oh, I'm sorry, I'm forgetting my manners," Logan responded. "What can I get you?"

Campbell still stared at Max, who was starting to feel a bit self-conscious about it.  She looked down at Eva, who had stopped nursing and had fallen asleep.  Max took the opportunity to flee the room for a few minutes, putting the baby to bed.  She poked a head around Ben's door and saw him engrossed in a video game.  Before returning to the living room, she turned off the oven in which the apple pie was still heating.

Logan had fetched the whisky bottle and was pouring both himself and Campbell a drink.  Max could never understand what men saw in whisky, preferring to stick to beer or wine.  She noticed that Logan hadn't bothered with his best whisky, which he saved for very special visitors, although even his second best was of a better quality than the rotgut served at Crash.

"Max is your wife?" Campbell was saying.

"Yes, why?"

"I still think I know her face from somewhere."

Logan immediately changed the subject.  "What sort of conference brings you to Seattle?"

Campbell paused for a moment.  "Implant technology."

Logan froze, the glass halfway to his mouth.  In his experience, implants brought nothing but pain and grief.  "What sort of implants?"  He set the glass carefully back on the coffee table, staring at Campbell, daring him to look away.  

Campbell squirmed nervously in his seat, puzzled at the intensity of Logan's expression, then gulped down his drink in one swallow.  The sudden heat of the liquor burned his throat, causing him to cough.  He cleared his throat before he spoke.  "The...er...the sort that...causes people with spinal nerve damage to walk again."

Logan looked down at his hands for a moment, took a deep breath and looked up.  "Why did you call me?  Sorry, Campbell, but I'm not in the market for any snake oil."  Logan's anger and frustration were palpable.

Max, who had been listening from the dining room doorway, quietly walked up behind Logan and rested a hand on his shoulder.  She felt the tension in his shoulder muscles.

"Logan," Campbell said, "I'm sorry.  I really didn't know."  Campbell looked so apologetic that Max would have laughed under other circumstances.  "I don't know anyone here – not any more.  I was feeling lonely and...I just wanted to look up an old friend."

Logan's look softened and he said quietly.  "This technology – how come I haven't heard about it?  Does it really work?"

"It's new – experimental.  We've had good results on lab animals."  Campbell paused.  "Logan, how long ago were you injured?"

"Fifteen years."

"Then it wouldn't help you, in any case," he stated firmly.  "It's too late.  The astrocytes will have done their job and the glial scarring would prevent any link up."

Max, kneading Logan's shoulder with her hand, felt him relax as he nodded in reply.  "Just for a moment..."

"I understand.  Hope can be an awful thing.  The thing is, this device is still very much in its experimental phase.  We haven't tried it on a human yet.  There have been good results in the lab, but it only works with recent injuries."  

Max leaned down to Logan's ear and whispered, "I don't need feet like Donald Duck," which made him smile.

Campbell's brain kicked up a notch, and he exclaimed, "I got it!  I know who you are!"

"Well, don't spread it 'round," she snapped.

"You're that transgenic from Terminal City.  Max, yeah, that was her name!"

"Awwww, you've gone and guessed my secret."

Campbell looked at her with new respect.  "You're sort of a hero to my daughter," he said.

"Yeah?"  Max raised her eyebrows.

"Yeah, she has a big poster of you on the wall of her room. You know, the one with the hoverdrone that says 'Girls Kick Ass'?  Wait till I tell her..."

"Cam," Logan said firmly.  "I'd rather you didn't do that.  Max is really trying to stay under the radar – you know, have a normal life."

"Oh, oh sure," Campbell replied, embarrassed.  "All the same, you're my daughter's big hero..."

Max shrugged.  "He's right, Campbell.  I spent my whole life craving something like normality.  Now that I have it, I want to keep it.  Anyone for apple pie?" she smiled.


	16. In the Still of the Night

****

Disclaimer: Not mine…

****

A/N: Many thanks to my two wonderful betas, catherder and alaidh, who are still beating the Aussie out of me.

****

Chapter 16: In the still of the night…

"I like your friend," Max commented, brushing her hair as she stood in front of the bathroom mirror.

Logan, lying in bed with a book propped up in front of him, replied, "Yeah, he's okay. He always hung around the fringes – trying to be popular – but never really succeeding. Too shy. His family owns the company, you know."

"Didn't figure he was broke."

"He hasn't followed in dad's footsteps though, was more into science than business."

"Mmm-hmmm."

"Don't know how he'll do delivering that paper at the conference, even if it _is_ just a company conference," Logan mused. "But…with a subject he knows well…who can say?"

"So – you gonna take him up on his offer? Trip back to your old school…could be fun."

"Maybe."

Max snorted. "Hmph. Logan, you're supposed to be a journalist. Don't you have any curiosity about the people you knew in school?" Max put the brush down on the vanity unit and stood in the doorway for a moment, before entering the bedroom.

"Sure – but I'm not sure I want to pursue it."

"High school reunion – that's supposed to be a big deal, isn't it. I mean – not that I'd really know…but…" 

Logan looked at the expression on her face. She wasn't going to let this go. "I'll think about it, 'kay."

She smiled.

"Now, come to bed," he said. He shut his book and put it and his glasses on the bedside table, then turned out the light. "'Coz there is _another_ kind of reunion I'd like to have, and it doesn't involve a lot of boring people I knew back when getting maudlin over a bowl of spiked punch."

Max, grinning broadly, was more than happy to oblige.

~*~*~*

Max woke when she heard Eva's first whimper, surprised to find Logan's place beside her vacant. She pulled on a robe and efficiently changed the baby's diaper, before padding out to the living room. As she suspected, Logan was staring out the windows at a distant thunderstorm. Lightning ripped across the sky, and she could hear the faint rumblings of distant thunder.

"Hey, whassup?"

He glanced at her briefly, then turned back to the window, his expression sad but thoughtful. "Couldn't sleep."

She turned the nearer of the two armchairs so it faced the window and dragged it closer to him, then settled herself and Eva comfortably. Max picked up Logan's hand from where it rested on the wheel of the chair, weaving her fingers between his, and squeezed gently. She let both of their hands settle on the arm of her chair. Logan gave a fleeting smile and sighed.

"Hey."

Logan looked at her again, questioningly this time.

"Thanks."

"For what?"

"For giving me a normal life."

"Our life is normal?"

"Well...close to..."

"Okay...so, there's this paraplegic guy, an anonymous cyber-journalist who broadcasts his message by hacking into the cable network, and his wife is an ex-Manticore X5, who escaped a facility in Gillette, Wyoming in '09, and who once swallowed a bottle of something labeled 'Tattoos from Within'...and this is normal? Normal compared to what?"

"No, what I mean is...home, family, friends – that kind of normal. I never had a stable base in my life until I met you...and even then it took a while."

"Oh, okay. No problem." Logan sat a bit straighter, rolling his shoulders slightly to ease the kinks.

"But you know something...we probably wouldn't be together at all if it weren't for that..." words failed her, "Bruno Anselmo."

"I don't know about that. I'm a persistent guy."

"Yeah, you're pesky like that," she teased. "What I'm trying to say, and not succeeding very well, is that it really...really doesn't matter to me – never did, never will...but..."

"Uh-oh, here it comes," Logan smiled.

"Logan, remember how you were? The arrogant rich kid – knew he could have any girl he wanted? Ring any bells?"

He blushed. "I remember."

"There is no way I would have had anything to do with that person."

"Why?"

"Because he was dangerous to both himself and others. He was too prepared to put the lives of others on the line and not think about the consequences for them. And, to be honest, I didn't...like him very much."

"Oh, okay, duly noted."

"That's not to say I wasn't attracted to him. I still am. Pheromones are a powerful thing," she grinned.

He responded with a crooked smile of his own.

"In a funny kinda way, I guess I need to thank Bruno. Without his actions, I probably wouldn't be here...in this room...right now."

"I won't ever forgive him. He got what he deserved." Logan clenched his jaw.

"Even if it meant that none of the last fifteen years ever happened?"

Logan continued to stare out the window. "I guess there're some aspects of the last fifteen years that...maybe...haven't been so bad, after all." He gave a quick, grim smile. "All the same, it's been a high price to pay."

She squeezed his hand reassuringly.

"I still have those dreams sometimes," Logan said quietly.

"Which dreams?" she asked.

"Where I'm walking...running...dancing on my own two feet. Doesn't happen very often...but when it does..." 

She nodded her understanding. "Campbell brought it all crashing back."

"Yeah."

"Logan, I wouldn't change my life for the world. I have everyone who really matters to me here, in this place – most of them in this apartment. And if Bruno hadn't been the nice guy he was, I would have kept moving, not stayed in Seattle."

"What about your brothers and sisters?"

"I care about them...but they don't need me the way my family or OC, or Joshua do. Now, don't get me wrong about all of this. I didn't stay because of pity or anything like that," she said, catching the look on his face. "It was more a case of getting my eyes off myself and seeing what was really happening around me, and that one person really could make a difference – even if it was just a small one. And, to be honest, I blamed myself for what happened to you. Now," she said, standing up, "let's go back to bed. It's been a long day, and a longer night."

Logan nodded, releasing his brakes. They were quiet for the time it took to travel to the bedroom, Max holding the sleeping baby across her body.

"You shouldn't blame yourself, you know," Logan said finally, preparing to transfer to the bed. "It was almost inevitable that something would happen to me sooner or later."

Max looked at him over her shoulder. She was in the corner settling Eva back to sleep.

"Max, truth be told, back when we first met…other than my 'mission', I didn't have a helluva lot to live for." Logan, sitting on the bed, grimaced slightly and rubbed the back of his neck. The tension of the day, including a drive through traffic halfway across Seattle, and the disturbing night were catching up with him. 

"Well, I hope that's changed," she smiled. 

"It has."

Max knelt behind him on the bed, stripped Logan of his t-shirt, and started to massage, digging deep into the muscles of his shoulders and neck. He soon relaxed, leaning back into her.

"It has," he replied.

"Lie down," she ordered, scooting out of the way. Logan obliged, blinking up at her owlishly. She started working on him, beginning with the range of movement exercises originally done by Bling in another lifetime. Max had added to these some work on pressure points, and while Logan couldn't feel what she was doing, they did work on a psychological level – he found them extremely relaxing. Having worked through the stretches, she gestured for him to roll over. She straddled his body and started to work some more magic on his shoulders, neck, and back. Eventually, as his tension eased, his eyes started to droop and he fell asleep. Max, eyes gleaming, reached across to turn off the lamp, then sat cross-legged on the bed, watching him sleep.


	17. Another Pleasant Seattle Sunday

**Disclaimer:**  *sighs* the usual applies.  Not mine, never will be, so don't sue.  VS3 isn't mine either.

**A/N**:  Many thanks to The Almighty Betas, catherder and alaidh, who are responsible for catching all the aussieisms, of which there are many, and for making me laugh with their beta comments.

This is kind of a scene-setter for what happens next.  Not a lot happening here, but enjoy anyway.

**Chapter 17:  another Pleasant Seattle Sunday **

By 9.00 am on Sunday morning, Logan had had the computers fired up for a couple of hours.  Max left him to his own devices and dealt with the regular morning routine on her own, at one point wordlessly placing a cup of coffee and some toast on the desk.  Logan nibbled the toast absent-mindedly as he scrolled through Informant Net updates, checking the status of current investigations and following up on e-mail traffic.  The coffee cooled in the cup, and he was surprised when he took a sip to find it was almost stone cold.  He looked at his watch, amazed at how quickly the time had passed.  With a sigh, he shut down the system and rolled out to the dining room, where Max was folding laundry.

"Time to go," he said, shortly.

"Good morning to you, too, sunshine," responded Max, looking up from the T-shirt she was folding. "And go where?"

"Markets – food – X5 famine victims.  Ring any bells?"

"Oh, that.  Well, that's definitely an offer too good to refuse," she responded.  "Give me a minute."

Logan automatically started folding laundry as well.

"I'm sure the clothes breed in the laundry basket," Max sighed, eyeing the neat piles on the table.

"One of the great mysteries of life," Logan replied, matching up the last pair of socks.  "And isn't it funny how the smallest member of the family creates the most laundry."

"Yeah, but then nobody ever said babies were clean."  She looked over toward the living room, where she could see the lower half of Ben, who was lying on the floor watching TV, his bare feet waving in the air.  Eva was on the floor beside him.  "Ben, get some shoes on if you're coming with us."

Ben pouted and stood up.  As he walked past his parents, Max handed him a pile of laundry.  "Put 'em away, please, mister.  I don't want to walk in your room later and find 'em on the floor."

"Awww, Mom."

"Uh-uh, wrong answer, kiddo."

"Yes, Mom."

"That's better."

Logan grinned at the exchange.  Thinking back, it was hard to believe the Max he first met could be so submersed in her role as a mother.

"If you're lucky, we might have time to drop by Sublime and see if Elfie's around, since we missed her yesterday."

Logan nodded his agreement.  "Gotta job for Alec by the way."

"Um, Logan, it's Sunday.  Alec probably won't be there."  Max rolled her eyes and disappeared into the bedroom with a bundle of laundry.  She came back out with the baby bag slung over her shoulder.  "Ben, hurry up!" she called, scooping Eva up from the floor.

"I'm ready, Mom," Ben said, appearing behind her.

"Okay," Logan backed up to the side table, and grabbed his keys and phone.  "Let's go."

~*~*~*

Wandering among the market stalls was a pleasant diversion.  They knew a number of the vendors well from repeat visits over many years, and exchanges of news and chit-chat occurred as a natural consequence as Max and Logan haggled over prices.  The markets flourished in the recovering economy.  Twenty-five years of depression had made its mark, but the stall-holders had survived and many made a reasonable living by selling good quality produce, most of which was better than anything found in the convenience stores and under-stocked supermarkets, at a reasonable price.

Max barrelled through the growing crowds using the stroller like a snowplow to clear a path.  Logan and Ben followed in her wake as best they could.  _Speed in all things, thought Logan, arms and shoulders pumping.  Eventually, Ben exchanged looks with his father and they both gave up.  Max would come looking for them when she was ready.  Having made most of his purchases, Logan headed for a juice stand, where he and Ben occupied one of the small folding tables and sipped on fruit juice, while they waited for Max._

Logan dumped the two sacks of groceries he had been carrying in his lap on the spare chair beside him and leaned back comfortably.  Ben immediately started a conversation about baseball.  Ben was a enthusiastic player and Logan had been roped into coaching Ben's fledgling team some two years before.  Logan had always been, and still was, a keen sportsman.  He still played wheelchair basketball for the team he had joined at Bling's insistence many years before.  Coaching baseball was an extension of this love of sport.

It took Max a little while to realize that she and Eva were on their own.  She eventually slowed and started backtracking.  When she found them at the juice stand, she dumped the two sacks on the ground and sat in the chair.

"What happened to you two?"

"I left the…jet thrusters at home today.  Besides, some guy threatened to put the smack-down on my ass if I ran over his toes again."  Logan winked at Ben.

Max looked pointedly at Ben, who immediately assumed an air of injured innocence.

"I can see we're gonna have to keep you away from Auntie OC.  You're starting to sound just like her," she laughed.

"No, not me," replied Ben.  "Aiight?"

Max grinned and adjusted Ben's baseball cap over his eyes.  "Whatever…"

*~*~*~

Logan parked Bessietoo half a block from the entrance to Sublime PI & Laundromat.  The doors were open and a couple of customers could be seen, some moving about within, some seated on plastic chairs reading ancient magazines while they waited for the cycle to finish.  Gem had one of the clothes dryers pulled out from the wall with its back removed.  She sat cross-legged on the floor, a screwdriver clenched in her teeth and a dirt spot on her nose, tinkering with the inner workings.

"Hey, whassup, boo?"  Max asked, crouching beside her, Eva balanced on her knee.  

"Oh, hey, Max.  Damn belt keeps coming off.  Trying to adjust it.  Mechanical repairs of this sort are definitely not in my skill-set, and Alec is worse than useless…"

Max looked up, seeing Logan coming in.  She had come ahead with the children while Logan parked the car.  "Logan, girl needs a fix-it man here."

"Do I look like a dryer repairman?" he asked.

"No, but you're the next best…" Max grinned.

Logan sighed, eyeing the laundromat customers.  He watched curiously as Ben immediately gravitated to the table in the far corner of the place, where Elfie sat chewing a pen as she concentrated on a page of word puzzles.  He really didn't feel like crawling around on the floor in front of a bunch of strangers.  "Can you get that thing up on the table for me?"

"Logan, this is an industrial dryer – it weighs a ton!" Gem protested, unwilling to reveal her and Max's enhanced strength to a roomful of witnesses.

Logan set his jaw stubbornly, ready to argue, but, in the end, realizing that no one except Max and Gem was watching and that neither of them would budge, he conceded defeat.  He locked his brakes and proceeded to transfer to the floor.  Max, trying not to laugh at his grumpy expression, wordlessly handed him his seat cushion.  Gem handed him the screwdriver, then she and Max beat a hasty retreat to the office, all the while trying not to laugh.  Logan glared angrily into the workings of the dryer for a moment, before starting to tinker with the mechanism.

~*~*~*

Gem immediately went into the washroom to wash her hands then started the coffee maker.  She held her hands out to take Eva then sat behind the desk and made a fuss over the baby for a moment.  Max seated herself in the better of the two visitors' chairs.

"So, did you have a nice vacation?"

"Yeah, it was good to get away."  Max smiled.  A few days in the sun had her skin glowing with health, and contrasted sharply with the fair-skinned Gem.  "Got much on the books right now?  You know I'm always available to help."

Gem looked at her curiously.  "Getting itchy feet?"

"No, not really…just…you know."

"Actually, no, I don't.  You got a good man, nice home, family.  Be a shame to waste it."  The coffee machine gurgled, and she stood, handing Eva back to Max over the desktop.

Max grinned at her, then looked at Eva who was grunting and straining.  "Uh-oh.  Better hold your nose."

Gem grinned back.  "Now that is something I don't miss."

"Yeah," replied Max, pulling a face.  She carefully lay Eva on the desktop and held her with one hand while she groped in the bag for a diaper.  Gem busied herself with pouring coffee for them both.  "Is Alec likely to come in today?" Max asked.

Gem muffled a laugh.  "Hardly.  Haven't laid eyes on him since Friday morning.  Why?"

"Logan has a job for him."

"Ah…I'll let him know.  Anything I could help with?"

Max shrugged.  "No idea.  Let Logan deal."

"Deal with what?" Logan asked, rolling through the door.

"Alec."

He nodded, then looked at his hands, covered in grime from the back of the dryer.  He sized up the washroom doorway, but quickly realized he'd never squeeze through.  Instead, he reached for the container of baby-wipes.  "Dryer's fixed for now.  Needs a new belt.  The old one is done for."

"I know, but they're hard to get – too old."

"I'll see what I can do."

"Thanks, Logan."  Gem smiled, dimpling prettily.

"What – you have a contact in dryer repairs?" Max asked cheekily.

"No, but I do have one in home hardware," he replied, looking at his watch.  "Max, we should be going. I have work to do."

"But we only just got here!" she protested.

"Max!"

"You go.  We can walk home."

Logan sighed heavily and thought for a minute.  "All right.  Call me when you're ready and I'll come get you."

"Deal," she smiled.

"Later, Max, Gem."  Logan turned and left them, saying a quick goodbye to Ben and Elfie on his way out the door.


	18. No place to go

**Disclaimer:  **Not mine, but if the suits at Fox feeling like handing them over, I'll gladly accept.  VS3 isn't  mine either.

**A/N:  **Thanks to alaidh and catherder for the beta.  Please R&R – it's what I live for…

**Chapter 18:  No place to go...**

Logan's first job when he returned home was to put away the shopping.  He then checked the answering machine for messages and went into the computer room.  He picked up where he had left off that morning with the Informant Net.  It had been an amazingly hectic few days since he had last checked his mailbox, and there was a lot of reading to do on the current major investigation  It involved the regular disappearance of important medical supplies – a recurrent theme in a depressed, although recovering, economy.

Late in the afternoon, on a whim, he switched over to a new line of research.  First, he entered the name Campbell Emerson and came up with a detailed personal record - schooling, qualifications, family, some published papers.  Next, he did some general research on Emerson Biotech, Inc.  The company had started up in the late eighties and had several research facilities pursuing different lines.  These were spread over different, quite widespread, states, which was one reason the company hadn't gone under following the Pulse.  _Something to be said for decentralizing operations after all_, he thought.  

Logan's final move was to hack into the records of the research section of Emerson Biotech, where Campbell Emerson was head of the department.

*~*~*~

Max spent a pleasant few hours with Gem, before deciding to walk with the two children from Sublime, which was near 4th Street, to her old crib on Waverly.  Eva had the best of the trip, held firmly on her mother's hip.  When they arrived at the apartment block, as was more often the case than not, the elevator was out, so they hiked up to the seventh floor.  Original Cindy greeted them at the door with a broad smile.

The apartment was much improved from the old days.  While the electricity, still hijacked from the power grid, was intermittent, there was now a fully functional stove to supplement the gas hotplates.  The walls were properly plastered and painted in colourful murals by Joshua as a gift to his friend, Original Cindy.  There was even a life-sized Xena, copied from the poster she had once hung in her bedroom, taking pride of place on the living room wall.  Joshua had plastered the walls to her bedroom and she had installed two antique doors on the bedrooms, rescued by her and a friend from a garbage dumpster, and carted home for them by Logan, who had driven past them on the street and taken pity on the two heavily laden women.

Ben, after giving Cindy a hug, immediately flopped on the floor in front of the television and started scanning channels, while Max and her friend sat on the sofa behind him.

"Where's Hotboy?" Original Cindy asked, rummaging in her make-up bag.

Max rolled her eyes, "Working, where else.  Probably just as well – the elevator is out."

"Give the man his due," Cindy responded.  "He ain't no slacker, and he did just give you a nice _vacation_."

"Hey, have I complained?"

"No, but you were going to," she replied with a knowing look.  "Gimme your paw."  Original Cindy grabbed Max's free hand.  "Do I have to say it again, girl?  Whatchu been doing with these?  Chopping trees?  How many times I gotta tell you?  Men notice."

"Now lemme think," Max said, in mock-seriousness.  "There's scaling cliffs, fixing boats, painting said boats...did I mention scaling cliffs?"

"Business as usual," OC grinned.  "Now hold still or I'll have to put the smack-down on you," she said severely, starting to work on Max's nails.

*~*~*~

Logan persevered with his hack into Emerson Biotech for a couple of hours, until he tracked down Campbell's research.  He discovered that Campbell's implant technology was a further development on an old theme – a continuation of some British research from the late twentieth century, which had been given up as a dead end.  Emerson was working on miniaturizing the original implant device and coupling it with cell regeneration techniques, using this method to helping to stimulate the cells into regrowth.  There had been extensive studies done with rats.  Logan shuddered at the thought, and wondered what the animal rights activists of the past would have thought of scientists deliberately severing the spinal cords of rats in order to do experimental research.

There had been encouraging results, with varying degrees of returned function to the rats' lower limbs.  All the same...Logan paused in his reading, and ran his hands along his thighs, feeling the fabric of his jeans run under his fingers and palms, the warmth of the limbs.  Even after fifteen years, he still hoped for a miracle, still worried that Max would tire of him and go looking for more – an able-bodied lover, someone who could keep up when she raced through the markets like a whirlwind, someone with functioning legs, who could dance the night away, then make love til dawn.  _Well, he thought, grinning to himself, __Maybe not the 'make love til dawn' bit._

Logan shook himself mentally and started reading again.  Campbell had been right about one thing.  The sooner this treatment started, the better the outcome.  The longer the rats were left untreated, the less function returned.  It was an interesting, but pointless, line of investigation for him – it was fifteen years too late.

Again, Logan gave himself a mental shake and closed the file, preparing to shut down the system.  It was getting close to the time he expected Max to call, and a growling stomach reminded him that he should be starting on dinner.  He was reversing out of the computer room when the doorbell rang, startling him.  Shutting the door firmly on the computers, he went to answer the door.  The building supervisor, Manuel Sanchez, stood there, holding an envelope.

"This was left for you downstairs.  Thought I'd save you some trouble and bring it up," he said, handing Logan the envelope, then standing in the doorway, wiping his hands on dirty overalls.

Logan looked at him, startled, unused to such service from the shiftless, lazy man.  "Thanks, Manuel."

Manuel waited a moment, before turning to go.  Logan started to close the door, wondering if Manuel had expected a tip.  He wouldn't get one.  The man already extorted enough out of the building occupants for the odd jobs he did for them. Logan looked curiously at the envelope, then seeing the return address embossed in the corner, gave a quick chuckle.  It wasn't often that mail came hand-delivered from the most exclusive school in Seattle.  Obviously Manuel had been impressed.  

Logan slid a finger under the flap and opened the envelope, which contained an invitation to the annual reunion, due to take place the following weekend.  Campbell hadn't wasted any time.  The venue made him whistle through his teeth, and he wondered who had made the booking.  Logan left the envelope on the dinner table before starting his preparations for dinner.

*~*~*~

Max admired her completed fingernails, blowing on the polish to try to hurry up the drying process.  "You sure guys notice this stuff?"

"Yeah, boo, I know they do.  Else why would these high society types come back week after week?"  Cindy hugged Eva close, rubbing her cheek on the baby's soft fair hair.

"Just that Logan never says anything."

"He wouldn't, boo.  Not the type.  But believe me, he notices and cares."  Cindy smiled.  "You two got fifteen years behind you now...and I ain't never seen a guy so in love after all that time."

Max smiled shyly.  "Ya think so?"

"I know, sugah," Cindy responded, grinning mischievously.  "He ain't never looked at no other woman since you came along.  Remember that first time at Crash…him swaggering in all male and arrogant?"

Ben turned his head slightly, listening in with half an ear.

"Yeah, I remember."

"Damn if he saw anyone else in the room."

"Well, he had reasons."

"Yeah, right.  Saw what he wanted and went right for it, ya ask me."

*~*~*~

Logan, waiting for Max to call, transferred up onto one of the high kitchen chairs to prepare a casserole for dinner.  He reflected idly that maybe it was about time he got one of the counters lowered to his level.  Max had vetoed the suggestion every time he'd made it, but then she wasn't the one picking carrot peelings  off her pants when she couldn't be bothered using one of the chairs.  He suspected Max's reasons were purely from her desire to watch him in transfer, and he hadn't resisted.  He was still living in hope for a miracle.  That aside, though, it was only a kitchen counter and could always be raised again if that miracle ever happened.

The phone started ringing as he chopped the vegetables.  He reached for it automatically with his right hand, preoccupied with his thoughts.  "Hello."  

"Logan."

"Oh, hey, Max," he said, his features softening into a smile.

"Can you come and get us?  We're at Original Cindy's."

"Oh, okay.  About fifteen minutes?"

"Sure…and Logan…the elevator isn't working here."

"I'll call you from downstairs."

"Okay.  Later…"

"Bye, Max."

Logan quickly finished what he was doing and tossed all the ingredients into the dish, wiped his hands on a dishtowel and transferred to the wheelchair.  He placed the food in the oven on low heat, grabbed his phone, and rolled out the door, locking it behind him.  When the elevator arrived, he entered and pressed the button for the garage.  It slowly started to descend.  There was a fizzling noise, and the elevator jerked slightly, the lights flickered, went out, then a single, dim bulb came on.  Logan tried the button for the parking lot again, but the elevator remained stationery.  

"Damn!"  He slid down the panel for the emergency phone, only to find that, not only was it broken, the whole thing had been ripped out.  The phone was completely missing.  "Damn!" he said again and tried the button for the penthouse level, with the same result - nothing.  He waited a few minutes, all the while scanning the elevator's ID plate for emergency phone numbers, but not even finding a maker's name, hoping that it would be a brief power outage, before giving up and pulling out his cell phone to call Max.

"Hey," he said, when she answered.

"Hey, what's up?  You outside already?"

"Hardly.  I'm stuck in the elevator at home.  Power just went out here."

"Really?  It's fine here.  What about the auxiliary motor?"

"I got lights and nothing else.  I'm stuck, Max."

"Have you tried to go up again?"

"Yes, Max."

"What about that idiot, Manuel?"

"Don't have his number – do you?"

"Well, no."  She considered briefly.  "Hold on, we'll be there soon."

"You sure?  You could stay there.  I can wait."

"Logan, you want to be stuck there all night?"

"No, not really." 

"Well shut up.  I'm on my way."

"Thanks, Max."

"You're welcome, sir."

Max looked at Cindy, who had been listening in on the conversation, called Ben and headed out the door, Eva, once again, firmly held on her hip.  "Seems like one way or 'nother we're getting plenty of exercise today," was her parting shot to Cindy.


	19. Darkness

****

Disclaimer: Do I need to say this again?

****

A/N: Many thanks to alaidh for beating the aussie out of the writer and to catherder for her share of the beta.

****

Chapter 19: Darkness

Max kept up a steady pace across town, with Ben easily keeping up. On arrival at Fogle Towers, Max found that Manuel's cubicle in the garage was vacant and locked – she peered through the dirty glass, seeing a shambles of old soda and beer bottles and greasy lunch wrappers, mixed in with tools and paperwork. _Really!_ she thought. _The man is a total slob._

Max handed Eva to Ben and pulled out her phone. "Logan, we're downstairs."

"You made good time," he responded.

"How far up are you?"

"Not sure, the buttons aren't lit."

Max zoomed in on the elevator indicator board at the rear of the garage. "The indicator board isn't working here, either. Nothing showing."

"Hmm…well…if it helps…I'd say maybe around 23 or 24?"

"Hmmm," she replied, looking thoughtfully at the beautifully manicured nails of her right hand. "Hang on." She handed the phone to Ben, eyed the height of Manuel's cubicle with her eyes, took a quick glance around to see that no one was watching, and lightly vaulted over the top, landing with a thud on the desk.

Logan, hearing the noise, said, "Max, what are you doing?"

Ben replied, "It's okay, Dad. She's just borrowing some stuff from Manuel's office."

Max opened the door from the inside and came out carrying a small crowbar. She took the phone from Ben. "On our way up," she said, and snapped the phone shut.

Max opened the locked door on the fire stairs with a credit card and started up. When she thought they were getting close to where Logan thought he might be, she ducked out of the stairs on every level and clanged the elevator door with the crowbar, hoping for a response. At level 23, Logan heard the noise from below and called out, "Next one up, I think!" She tapped twice in acknowledgment. The next thing Logan knew, the doors slowly slid open and he was looking at a pair of shoes and some brown ankles, slightly above head level. He looked up at her and smiled as she leaned against the doorframe, folded her arms and said cheekily, "What the hell are you doing down there?"

Logan laughed. "Not a whole lot."

Bracing herself against the doorframe, she reached down with her hand. Logan grabbed hold with both of his and she easily pulled him up. He sat on the edge, legs dangling, while she jumped into the elevator car and lifted out the wheelchair.

"Thanks," he said, reaching into the back pocket of the chair for a pair of bike gloves, thinking that if he was going to have to crawl up the fire stairs to get back to the penthouse, he need not inflict more damage on himself than was absolutely necessary. 

Max pushed the chair out of the way and lifted herself back out of the elevator. "I'll take this," she said, glancing down at the chair, "and see you upstairs."

"Okay…"

Max knew Logan would neither want her help to get up the stairs nor would he want her to watch him crawl his way up on his hands and butt. She turned Ben, who was holding Eva, around with a firm hand on the shoulder and pushed him in the direction of the stairs. Then she picked up Manuel's crowbar and shoved it into the wheelchair pocket before pushing the chair in the direction of the stairs and disappearing from sight, leaving Logan to follow at his own speed.

Max was sitting on the dinner table, looking at the invitation to the reunion when Logan eventually rolled into the apartment. She looked at him pointedly. "You are going, aren't you?"

"Yeah, I guess so, but only if you go too," he smiled. "It says 'and partner'..."

"Hey, this is the opportunity of a lifetime," she quipped. "Of course I'll come. Ain't no other way I'll get a meal at the Eclipse."

"What, Chez Cale not good enough for you any more?"

"Nope. I'm moving up-market. Chez Guevara good enough for you?"

Logan jokingly pulled a face. "I guess."

"'Cause it looks like that's what you'll be getting tonight. Power's still out."

"Damn...and I had something in the oven too," he deadpanned. "By the way, thanks for coming to the rescue."

"No problem." Max slid off the table. "Didn't think you'd really fancy spending a night in the elevator, not considering the alternative." She grinned wickedly, dropping the invitation into his lap.

"Remember Bennett's wedding?" he asked.

"How could I forget," she replied, her mind immediately returning to the night – Normal held captive by the art thief, Duvalier, and his henchmen; Logan messing up the speech; Original Cindy and his ex-girlfriend, Daphne – the whole fiasco.

"Need I say it again?"

"Not my peeps? This is news? And this matters how? I am going, Logan, not for them, but for you and me. If these peeps are anything like your family...well...Jonas and Margo, really...they'll think you the class failure. I know you aren't."

"Hell, they'll know that when I roll in the door."

Max raised a curious eyebrow at him.

"Paraplegic guy with the most beautiful girl in the room. Must be doing something right, right?"

She flicked him a saucy grin. "It's also pure selfishness on my part. Want to see you in a tux again." She winked, walking off toward the kitchen. "And by the way," she paused and half-turned, hand on her hip. "Didn't you always have the most beautiful girl in the room?"

"I've got the most beautiful girl in the _world_, now," he said quietly.

She frowned slightly. "That was sappy, but I kinda like it."

*~*~*~

Max moved around the apartment lighting candles as Logan set the table for a jointly prepared salad dinner. The power was still out – the casserole waited in the fridge for the return of electricity to Sector 9. Looking out, all the adjoining apartment blocks were in darkness as well, only lit by the occasional pinpoint of light from a candle, hurricane lamp, or gas lantern. Farther away, lights shone in the distance, but nothing nearby.

"Nothing like a candlelit supper for four, is there?"

Logan looked up at her. "I thought we were past all this. Guess I was wrong."

She shrugged and went to pick up Eva from the living room floor. Ben had earlier asked for batteries for his Gameboy, but he'd been out of luck. When he started to complain, Logan had pointed at the bookcase, so that's what he was doing – lying on the sofa, reading a book by the light tall candle.

After dinner, at Max's suggestion, Logan dug out a "primitive board game". He possessed an old, but complete, Monopoly set that had originally belonged to his parents or grandparents – he wasn't sure which. The fake money, board, and various cards were now yellowed with age and slightly fragile, but still usable. 

With the power still out, in some ways it was like being at the cabin still – no TV, no distracting noise other than what they made themselves.

Ben managed to surprise both his parents in the game of Monopoly, which he had never played before. Although, Max thought, _maybe we shouldn't be too surprised – in between his share of my screwy genetics and the time he spends with Bennett and Marianne, maybe a little bit of that Cale Commercial Killer Instinct has rubbed off._ Ben gleefully bankrupted both his parents, and ended up being sent to bed glowing with happiness at his victory.

After she'd tucked Ben into bed, Max wandered around the apartment, with Eva on her hip, snuffing out most of the candles while Logan packed up the game. She left just a solitary candle burning on the coffee table.

"Long time since we had a blackout," Max commented, gesturing for Logan to transfer to the sofa.

"Yeah, been awhile." 

Max smiled to herself, watching him move, the tight-fitting T-shirt he wore emphasizingthe ripple of muscles. Having a cat's eyesight could be a real blessing in a blackout. Logan looked up at her curiously, sensing a change in mood, and caught a glimpse of the upturned corners of her mouth. "What?"

"Nothing." Max delicately sat next to him and curled up, leaning into him comfortably. She held the baby close with one hand. Logan wrapped his arm around her and took one of Eva's tiny hands in his. With his other hand, he held Max's free hand, gently rubbing the smooth nail polish on her thumb with his finger. Max's eyes flickered wide open for a second, and she looked round at him, then snuggled closer, thinking, _Original Cindy was right. He really does notice._


	20. Dressed to kill

**Disclaimer:**  Yup, doing it again.  They're not mine and I know it, I just wish they were.  Ditto VS3.

**A/N**:  alaidh, who was missing in action somewhere in Canada, has now done a belated beta, so this is an updated version.  Many thanks to catherder for the beta and to the WyldeGod for his funny true-life story which he has kindly allowed me to incorporate into this chapter.

Chapter 20:  Dressed to Kill 

Alec showed up the following morning, full of attitude.  He walked into the penthouse without knocking and seated himself on one of the kitchen counters, near where Logan was pouring coffee.  Logan was thankful for the fact that the power had come on during the night, although both he and Max had been woken when the bedroom light came on without warning.  He looked forward to his morning caffeine fix.  He could cope with instant coffee, but no power, meant no kettle.  

Logan, accustomed to Alec's peripatetic comings and goings, ignored the rudeness of the unannounced visit and, without a word, poured an extra cup of coffee.

"Hey, Logan.  You know the elevator's out?"

"This is news?"

Alec raised an eyebrow at him.

"Never mind."  Even after the power had come back, the elevator stubbornly refused to budge.  Logan had put it down to a mechanical failure caused by, or coinciding with, the blackout.

Alec shrugged.  "No need to get pissy.  It's not my fault."

"I know."

"What'd you wanna see me about?"

"Gotta job for you."

"Who do I have to kill?"

Logan looked at Alec blankly.

"That was a joke."

"I know.  The answer is no one – at least, not just yet."  Logan gave a wry grin.  "Just need you to do some recon and maybe a bit of tailing.  Need you to track the path of some medical supplies."

Alec nodded.

"See what happens, who comes, who goes, where the supplies go.  That kinda thing."

"No sweat.  When and where?"

Logan handed Alec both cups of coffee, abruptly turned and wheeled through the apartment in the direction of the computer room.  Alec shrugged and followed.  The apartment was deserted except for the two men.  Max and the two children had gone out earlier, leaving the stranded Logan to his own devices.  He brought the file up on the computer and gave Alec a guided tour of what he was expecting to happen.  Alec took note of the finer details and promised to get back to Logan ASAP.

By Wednesday, with the elevator still not working, Logan was becoming restless.  He loved the penthouse, which had been his home for nearly twenty years, but when he literally couldn't leave the building, it became a prison.  Max came and went as she pleased, performing various errands sometimes with and sometimes without children, sometimes on foot, sometimes taking the car.  It was all one to her.  

Alec followed up on the task Logan had set him to, fruitlessly following several truckloads of supplies to their ultimate destination.  He also performed some B&E on the warehouse where the goods were stored, to no avail.  

All in all, it was a totally frustrating week.

Early Wednesday afternoon, Max went out on her own to meet up with Original Cindy for a short shopping expedition uptown.  She'd already been out once that day to drop Ben at Bennett and Marianne's for the day.  

"Going to beat up on your credit card," she said, smilingly, when Logan asked where she was going.  He had phoned through his acceptance to the reunion on Monday, but was now beginning to wonder if the elevator would be repaired in time for him to go.  He also needed to get his pants let down, because, as Max had rightly pointed out, in a seated position they were way too short. 

Logan had also called Campbell to let him know he would be there.  He still wavered in his decision from one moment to the next.  One part of him wanted to be there, to cover the event, to write a short piece for the school paper; the other part wanted to run and hide from the roomful of Uncle Jonases he was anticipating seeing.  He had little in common with most of those people, other than money.

It was a great to hear the familiar ping of the elevator doors opening when Max returned.  She came in bouncing with good cheer and announced, "The elevator's working, woo hoo!"

"About time!"  Logan called back.

"I assume you're going to take advantage?" she asked, following the sound of his voice to the living room, where he was lying on the rug with Eva, playing  peek-a-boo.

"Sounds like a plan to me.  So tell me about what you bought," he prompted, pushing up into a sitting position, then realized that she wasn't carrying any packages.

"Uh-uh.  Not telling."

"It's a secret?"

"Yup.  Big secret.  Top secret, Eyes Only rating," she smiled.

"Okay…well…that being the case, I won't ask any further questions."

She smiled in response.  "Now, I think you should get off the floor and go get those pants fixed while the elevator is functioning."

"Sounds like a plan to me."

It was a relief to climb into the car and drive out to the street.  He had gotten a lot of work done during his enforced stay at home, but the walls had steadily closed in.  He visited the tailor and arranged to have the pants altered and to be collected the next day, collected the dryer belts he had managed to order for Gem from his hardware contact, and stopped in at Sublime to drop them off and to see if Alec had anything to report.  After that, he turned the car for home.

*~*~*~

On the night of the reunion, Max primped in front of the mirror one last time, Original Cindy examining her critically, makeup bag in her hand.

She walked out to Logan, who was impatiently waiting for her.  Logan couldn't help but smile in appreciation as she came into view.  The top secret, Eyes Only-rated dress had stayed that way from Wednesday.  Original Cindy hadn't revealed anything either, when she had called earlier in the day and Logan had answered.  He had pumped her for information, but she had refused to say a word.

Max stopped and twirled for him, a vision in jade green, revealing a large expanse of café-au-lait-colored skin on her back, and one shapely leg, where the side of the dress was split almost to her left hip. The dress was startling in its simplicity:  a sheer satin sheath with shoestring straps and a plunging neckline.  It looked like it had been made for her.  Her only adornments consisted of the locket that had belonged to Logan's mother, a pair of simple gold stud earrings, and a simple diamond solitaire engagement ring paired with her wedding ring.  Original Cindy had done her hair in a loose tangle on top of her head, with lots of wisps hanging down, and the makeup gave a soft look to her eyes.

"Wow."

"That all you can say?"

"Do I need to say more?" Logan asked innocently.

Max smiled broadly.  "You look nice, too."  Logan's shirtfront shone dazzling white, in sharp contrast to the black jacket and bow tie.  She quickly glanced at his feet, trying to make sure he wasn't wearing gym socks.

"Run along, children," chided Cindy, grinning at Logan's reaction.  "Go play."  She turned away to put the makeup bag back with her other gear in what would eventually be Eva's room.  Max stifled another smile as she heard her friend muttering under her breath something about "men and dogs".

The heels of Max's sandals clicked on the wooden floor as she turned and gave Original Cindy a big wink before heading for the door.

*~*~*~

Logan pulled the Aztek smoothly up to the entrance of the Eclipse and put it into park.  While Max got out and walked around to the other side, he assembled the wheelchair.  She watched him transfer, then handed him his jacket, which he hadn't worn in the car.  He was straightening out his jacket when the valet approached to take the battered SUV for parking, where it would surely be the thorn among the roses.

Max looked at the valet sharply.  "You know what you're doing there?"

"I can drive anything," he said, snootily and climbed into the driver's seat – and just sat there, confused at the set-up.  He looked at the hand controls, a stunned expression on his face, mouth gaping.  He poked the hand lever once, distastefully, like it was a dead body.  Then he sat there, hands hovering, unsure what to do.

Logan smothered a smile, seeing him try the disabled foot pedals once.  Finally, Max put the poor fellow out of his misery by reaching past Logan and flicking the switch to empower the pedals.  As the embarrassed valet drove off with the car, Max lightly clouted Logan in the back of the head.  "Naughty boy."  Max was quite capable of driving the car either way, but she was fully aware of how strange the hand controls had been at first.

"Sorry, Mom," he grinned at her.

"Come on, let's get this bitch over with."__

They entered the building side-by-side and paused at the entrance to the restaurant.  Logan pondered momentarily, _The worst part of attending a large function is always entering a crowded room – I always feel like every eye is on me._  They could hear the murmur of voices and distant music.  Logan stayed still for so long that eventually Max prodded him between the shoulder blades to encourage him to move forward through the doorway and into the room.

**A/N:  There will be a short delay before the next chapter goes up, and after that, I'm going to be on holidays for a couple of weeks – travelling around – so once again, more delays.  A thousand apologies, but I really need the break and it'll be important to my research for this story and any others.  Just be patient – I will be back.**


	21. It's Party Time

**Disclaimer**:  Once again I'm saying it – wish they were mine, but the suits don't wanna give them up.  VS3 ain't mine either.

**A/N**:  Multiple thankyous to the Almighty Betas, alaidh and catherder, who made some suggestions included here – and made a better a chapter.  Thanks guys, you're da bomb.

This is a long one for me.  I'm going off on holidays for almost four weeks and it is unlikely that I will post in that time, so I figured you folks could do with a bit more quantity this time round.  For those who are interested, the quotes at the end come from "My First Night With You" by Mya.  Enjoy.  Please read and review…I live for reviews.

**Chapter 21:  It's Party Time**

Once Max finally persuaded Logan to move, he entered the Eclipse and executed a quick ninety-degree turn inside the door to one of a pair of ramps that flanked the half-dozen steps straight ahead.  Max walked straight down the stairs, scooped two glasses of bubbly from the tray of a passing waiter, and met him at the bottom of the ramp.

The chatter died slightly as they entered.  Max felt the change and cringed inwardly, knowing that this was what Logan had been dreading – that he would become the center of attention for all the wrong reasons – an object of pity.  He paused at the bottom of the ramp for a moment and waited for Max, his path blocked by a large group of people.

"Hey," she said to him, leaning over the railing to his right.  "You gonna join me or just sit there?"  Logan gave her a baleful look, then started to force his way through, the skin on the back of his neck prickling as he felt the stares.  Max kept her expression neutral as she overheard a few comments.

_"Who was that?"_

_"That wasn't…"_

_"Poor guy, heard he got shot a while…"_

_"Such a waste...so handsome..."_

_"...always had the most beautiful girls chasing after him at school..."_

If Logan heard what was being said, he gave no sign.  Max followed his progress as he pushed his way through, then headed in the direction of a display of photographs decorated with the school colors near the back wall of the restaurant.  When he stopped to examine the photographs, she handed him his glass and dropped a reassuring hand on his shoulder.  She joined him in perusing the pictures, with interest: classes, groups, sporting teams, clubs were all represented.  

Max was curious.  She had seen many pictures of him as a young child, baby photos, stumbling toddler, first day of school – shots taken by his parents everywhere they went.  However, from the time his mother had become ill, the stream of pictures had slowed to a trickle, and once his parents were gone, that trickle almost completely dried up, except for one exceptional photograph taken of him leaning over the railing of a wharf on a blustery, cold day.

Logan looked up at Max and smiled at the concentration on her face.  Her eyes were narrowed and lips pursed as she scanned for her husband's familiar features in a sea of faces.

"Bingo," she said, her eyes falling on a photograph of a smiling sporting team.  "2003 Junior Boys Basketball," she read out loud.  The face was softer, younger, there was no four-day growth of beard, the glasses were different, but Logan was still unmistakable.  

"Ah, I remember that," he commented, pointing at the same photograph.

"Logan?"

He turned his head to see who had spoken to him, then pulled back on the wheel with his left hand to face the speaker.  Max also looked to see who had spoken, and found herself facing a diminutive, Asian woman of indeterminate age.

"Mrs Lee, you haven't changed a bit!"

"Logan, it's so good to see you here.  It's been such a long time, you naughty boy."

"It sure has, Mrs Lee."  Logan looked over his shoulder. "Max, this is Mrs Lee.  She was one of my teachers at school.  Mrs Lee, my wife, Max."

Max held out her hand to the frail, elderly woman.  "Pleased to meet you," she said, responding to the woman's warm smile.

"Logan, I see you're still bringing the most beautiful girl to the prom.  Some things change, some stay the same."  

"You know how it is," he shrugged. "Max, Mrs Lee was the one who encouraged me to go into the writing field."

"Oh!"  Max's eyes grew huge.  "Cool."

"Ah, well, he had a modicum of talent.  Would have been a shame to waste it."

"What I say," Max replied warmly.  "Use it or lose it."

"Logan, I was so pleased you agreed to come tonight and do a little piece for the school paper."

"Couldn't refuse.  I helped start that rag.  I'm glad to see it's still going strong."

"Oh, yes, definitely."  Mrs Lee smiled.  "Campbell made a great ambassador for us."

Logan and Max exchanged inquiring glances.

"He'd been out of the loop, like yourself, for so long that he seemed like a good choice."

"And as usual, you sent him in totally unprepared.  Poor guy.  No wonder he looked so stunned when he saw me.  He really didn't know.  I had kind of wondered…" Logan looked up at his old teacher fiercely, daring her to look away. 

"I'll be retiring soon.  I needed one final scoop.  You gotta give an old woman one last chance at the prize."  Mrs Lee smiled broadly, then turned to go.

Logan shook his head, amused at her ploy.

"And speak of the devil," said Max, spying the hapless Campbell Emerson coming toward them, partnered by a short, plain woman – obviously his wife, judging by the proprietary hold he had on her elbow.

"Hey, Campbell," said Max, holding out a hand in greeting.

"Logan, Max."  He pumped each hand in turn.  "This is my wife, Fee."

"Hey, Fee."  Max smiled.  "Campbell told us a heap about you the other night."

Fee blushed and looked shyly at her husband.

"Don't worry.  It's all good."

"It's okay.  Anyone would think I was the crown jewels from what Cam says.  On the other hand, he sure didn't exaggerate about you."

Max shrugged.  "Whatever."

"Logan has a reputation to maintain," interjected Campbell, with a wink.  Logan looked up at his friend and grinned.  "Logan always brought the most beautiful girl to the school dance."

Max grinned broadly at her husband's discomfort.  "As long as it's me, I don't care."  She winked back.

"As for me," responded Logan.  "My days on the dance floor are definitely over."

"Aww, Logie, I don't know about that.  You still do a mean hokey pokey."

"Max, I did that once…and it was after Alec had plied me with beer for half the afternoon."

Max laughed.  He had been more than a little drunk that day.  Wheeling under the influence...

"Alec?" asked Fee.

"He's sort of…" Max began.

"Max's brother," Logan ended the sentence, then exchanged looks and grinned.  

Looking up again, Max noticed a photo she hadn't seen before.  Logan and Campbell standing together.  "Hey, would you look at that," she pointed, reading the caption underneath.  "2006 Chess Team, Logan Cale and Campbell Emerson."

Logan gave a half smile and turned away from the display, his glass wedged between his legs, intending to move off into the room to circulate.  His progress was almost immediately halted by a pair of solid legs standing in front of him.  He looked up into a mean face with an untidy moustache and red-rimmed eyes.  The guy was not drunk yet, but he was well on his way.  Max, ever sensitive to Logan's moods, felt a change and tensed imperceptibly.  Her hand moved from her hip to Logan's shoulder again, where she squeezed a gentle reminder that she was there.

"Cale," the man said, coldly, his dislike emanating from him in waves.

"Maclean," Logan replied mildly.

"Whose girlfriend did you steal this time?"

Campbell and Fee beside them were frozen, not moving.

"Maclean, I don't steal other people's girlfriends."

Maclean bristled, his face reddening.

"Was there something you wanted?"  Logan asked, an edge creeping into his voice.

"Because if not," Max continued, "You can kindly go back to whatever rock you crawled out from."  She smiled sweetly.

Maclean leered at her, exhaling alcohol fumes so strong that she wrinkled her nose in disgust.  "Ooh, you got some spirit.  Like a girl with spirit."  

Max rolled her eyes.

"What the hell are you doing with this crippled geek?"

Max rolled her eyes again.  "He's more of a man than you'll ever be.  C'mon, Logan, let's go elsewhere.  It stinks like a brewery here."

Max roughly pushed past the drunken Maclean, with Logan following behind, leaving the two Emersons behind.  Once they were out of earshot, Max turned to face Logan.  "What the hell was that all about?"

"You don't want to know."

"Spill."

Logan sighed.  "This is all totally irrelevant after all this time."

"Logan," she warned.

"He broke up with some girl and a week later I ended up dancing with her at some party.  Word got back.  He's had it in for me ever since."

"Oh?"

"She wasn't even my date for the party.  Just someone who was there..."

"...and then there's your reputation as well, Casanova," she chuckled.

"It wasn't like that."

"Now where have I heard _that before?"  She raised an eyebrow at him, then spoiled the effect by laughing.  "Come on, let's..."_

"Logan!  What the hell happened to you?"

The voice was female, pleasant to the ear, and turned out to belong to an attractive, freckle-faced, auburn-haired woman.

"Natalie – is that you?" Logan grinned in delight.  "Never expected to see you here. Last I heard you were somewhere on the other side of the world."

"Yeah – we were for a long time.  We've only been back for a few months.  It's been a real culture shock after 20 years in foreign parts."

"I bet."

Max turned away for a moment, feeling eyes boring into her back.  One way or another, she and Logan were attracting more than their fair share of attention.

"So where's Bob?" Logan asked.

"Couldn't make it.  Some meeting or other in DC.  Logan, what happened to you?  I've been hearing lots of rumors, but every story is different."

"You...er...really have been out of the loop, haven't you?"  

Max turned back to face Natalie.  "Logan, aren't you going to introduce us?"

"Natalie, this is Max," he said simply.

"Hello, Max.  And Logan, you haven't answered my question."

"I dropped out of sight."

"Logan, don't do that.  That's not what she asked," Max admonished.

"Logan," Natalie said again.  "What happened to you?  I'd like to hear the truth."

Logan hesitated a moment.  "I was shot – in the back – at close range in the middle of the street."

"Not some angry ex-boyfriend, I hope?"

Logan looked at her for a moment, and then realized it was a joke and smiled.  "Just the boyfriend's mother," he responded in kind.

"I take it this was something to do with some damn fool journalistic crusade of yours?  I knew your reputation at the Freep.  That much filtered through." 

"Something like that.  Old news, anyway.  And you, how have you been keeping..."

Max wandered off in search of another drink, leaving them to talk.  When she returned a few minutes later, she found Logan surrounded by a group of his former classmates, listening closely to a story being told by a blowsy blonde, who was nearly bursting out of the front of a too-tight dress.  Max leaned over Logan's shoulder and handed him his glass, and was rewarded with a warm smile.

A few minutes later, waiters started bringing out platters of food, which they arranged on long tables for people to help themselves.  Logan was still deep in conversation with Natalie, who was obviously one of his old flames.  Max had left them and was making a selection of the culinary delights on display when she felt a hand on her ass, and beery breath wafted past her nose.  She rolled her eyes as the slurred words were spoken, "Sugar, what are you doing with that gimp loser Cale?  Why don't you come have some fun with me?"

Max gently set down the plate and glass of wine she was holding.  Deliberately and forcefully, she stepped back on Maclean's toe with a pointed heel, grabbed the thumb of the hand that was on her ass and, turning to face him, bent it back painfully.  She said through clenched teeth, "Get lost, buster."

Logan, coming up to them, was just in time to have Maclean, who was stumbling away from Max in surprise, crash into the wheelchair, painfully cracking his knee on the leg guard.  Maclean made a hasty departure, heading for the exit.  Logan raised an eyebrow at Max.  "Having fun?"

She grinned ironically.  "Just engaging in a little pest control."

"Okay.  Gotta zap those cockroaches."

Max resumed stacking her plate with food, then waited as Logan made his choices.  They found space at a table on the side wall, where Max automatically pulled out one of the chairs and moved it to the end so that Logan could sit beside her.  Logan no longer took offense at the thoughtful gesture, which was second nature to Max.  They were soon joined by Campbell and Fee Emerson and a number of others – classmates, spouses and partners.

They ate amid companionable chatter with the others at the table.  Max tapped her toe in time with the beat of some old music from the early days of the century – the kind of soft pop and rock that Logan and his contemporaries would have been listening to at school – the kind that he still played from time to time when he was allowed to play his own CDs at home – which wasn't often.  Ben was at the point in his life where he was starting to monopolize the stereo system, and wails of protest went up whenever someone else wanted to play their music rather than his.  

Halfway through dinner, Max excused herself and went off to the ladies' room to make use of the comparative quiet to call Original Cindy and check on things at home.  

"Hey, whatchu doing calling me instead of having a good time, boo?" Cindy had immediately asked.  "Ain't no problems here.  If there were, I'd be callin' you."

"OC!  I was just…"

"You were worried 'bout your babies.  Ain't no need to worry.  I'm the best babysitter in Seattle.  Had years of practice."  Max pictured the grin on Cindy's face as she made the boast.  It was even true.  She'd been Elfie's babysitter, and Ben's and Jonas's on occasions.  Years of experience was right.

"I know, Original Cindy.  Just that I haven't left Eva with anyone for this long before – not even with Logan, and he's her daddy."

"This long?  You only been gone for a coupla hours, boo.  Now, stop frettin' and get back to your man."

"Yes, Momma."  Max grinned.

"How's it goin' anyway."

"It's…all good."  Max hesitated.  Most of the people, with the one exception, had been pleasant and surprisingly welcoming for a group of WASPs.  Although Max didn't feel she really belonged, she wasn't feeling as completely out of place as she had been at Bennett's wedding or other formal occasions at the Cale mansion in previous years.  With Margo now living in comparative retirement, those formal occasions had ceased.  Bennett was less prim and proper than either of his stuffy parents.  He had taken over the family home – his brothers were both long settled in their residences and hadn't wanted to move back, and as Bennett had succeeded his father at the head of Cale Industries, it had been decided between them that the house should be his, at least for the present.

"Well, I'm glad we didn't waste all of Logan's scrilla on that dress for you not to enjoy it."

"Oh, no, that definitely was not wasted."  Max smiled.   She wasn't thinking of the reunion, though, more of Logan's reaction.

Natalie walked in, mid-conversation, surprised to see Max leaning up against the basin and talking on the phone.  She listened to the conversation with half an ear, quickly realizing that Max had to be talking to a babysitter.  She cast an envious look over Max's slim figure.  She'd lost her waistline years ago to children and passing years, and although she was far from being overweight, she certainly didn't have Max's svelte lines.

"Gotta bounce.  Call me if you have any problems."

"Max, ain't gonna be no problems.  But I promise to call, 'kay?  And relax.  I got everything under control here."

Max winced, hearing a loud crash in the background through the phone.  _Yeah, under control, right, she thought.  "Late."_

"Babysitter?"  Natalie asked, curiously.

"Yeah."  Max gave a rueful smile.

"I find it hard to picture Logan as a father."

Max smiled.  "Sometimes I find it hard to believe myself."  She snapped the phone shut and put it in her small handbag, extracting her lip-gloss in its place.  She leaned forward over the basin, applying a fresh coat of gloss.

"In fact, it's hard to picture Logan as anything but…"

"A playa?"  Max asked.

"Logan was always…different.  He never really fit into any one niche."

"Ever the loner," Max replied thoughtfully.  "Not a nerd, but not one of the guys either."

"Yes.  He was very much his own individual.  Refused to fit the mold.  It sometimes made him unpopular – an outsider.  He was good at everything…sports, chess, and the academic bits as well.  Girls used to follow him around, too."

"Nothing's changed then.  And being different didn't stop the girls liking him, did it?" Max grinned.

"No, he never had any problem finding girlfriends."  Natalie's blue eyes glistened as she gave Max a broad, knowing smile.  "He knew how to treat a lady."

"Still does."

"All those 'olde worlde' manners – soft lights, music.  They're such a…"

"Come on?"  Max asked innocently.  

Natalie looked at her in surprise.

"I don't think he ever had any shortage of female company in his bed," Max continued.  "Guess it upset some folks, though."

"Yes.  It was unintentional, but it happened."

Max nodded, understanding.  "He has this…"

"Yeah."

"Hell, I'm allowed to say it…charisma, sex appeal…Loganness…whatever"

Natalie nodded.  "You two been together long?"

Max nodded, studying her reflection in the mirror.  "I've known him for a long time now.  Not as long as you, but long enough."

"Then you know what I mean."

"Yeah, I do."

"How many kids you got?"  Natalie asked, holding the door open for Max to pass through ahead of her.

"Two.  Yourself?"

"Three – all grown up now.  My baby is," Natalie paused, "nearly 20."

"Wow."

"How old are yours?"

"Ben is eleven and our baby is about five months, now."

"Ah, you have a little 'un."  Natalie looked at Max, thoughtfully.  "No wonder you had to make that phone call.  I was the same."

"Really?  I'm glad it's not just me being silly.  I've never left her with anyone for this long before – not even Logan."

"It's not silly.  Now, let's join the fray before they send out a search party for us."

Returning to the table was harder than it looked.  Logan was surrounded by what looked like a group of giants – tall, loud men.  They were apparently late arrivals.  Max would have remembered this group for sure.  One of them had a sadly deflated basketball, which appeared to be covered in signatures, tucked under his arm.  For mature men, there was more than a fair share of pushing and shoving going on among them.  Logan's face, as he looked at them across the expanse of the table, wore an expression of sheer delight.

Max and Natalie waited a moment before Max put on her school-marm voice.  "'Scuse us, boys.  Comin' through."

Without missing a beat, two of the giants moved aside to allow Max and Natalie a passage through.

"…still play a bit of ball down at the community center," Logan was saying.

Max suddenly tweaked as to the identity of the tall men and nodded to herself.

"Still?  Wow, I'm impressed."  This came from the tallest of the group, a solidly built guy with curly, dark hair, just starting to recede at the temples.  "Had to quit years ago – my knees gave out." 

_Well, Max thought, a_t least Logan can't complain about that.__

Natalie, now deep in conversation with the Emersons, heard the comment as well and looked curiously at Logan to ascertain his reaction.  For his part, Logan didn't even react.  Max claimed his hand, mid-gesture.  "Hey, aren't you gonna introduce me to this group of studs?" she enquired.

"Sorry, Max.  Guys, this is Max, my wife.  Max, this is Carl, Aaron, Kyle, Matthew and Henry."

"Lemme guess."  Max gave them a measured look.  "The basketball team?"

"You got it," replied the tall, curly-haired Carl, holding out his hand.  "Pleased to meet you.  Must say, Logan's taste in women hasn't changed."

"That's for sure," added Kyle, a skinny blond with large-lensed glasses.

"Well, it hasn't in the last few anyway," responded Max in kind.

"Logan, I can't believe you still play basketball.  That's amazing, man.  Look at the rest of us crocks...How come you've lasted so long?"  Matthew, the man with the deflated ball under his arm said, then in a quick maneuver, flicked the sad excuse for a ball at Logan.  Logan automatically reached up above his head to catch it, tipping back in the process, and was just lucky that Max stuck out a hand to save him or he'd have landed on his back on the floor.

"Hey, what's with the wheelchair?"  Matthew suddenly realized what he'd seen when Logan tipped back.

"I said I still played basketball – didn't say what sort," Logan responded.  He glanced at Max for a moment.

"What happened?"

"Shooting."

"So how come none of us knew about this?" asked the tall Eurasian, Henry.

They had stopped jostling now, and were all deadly serious.

"I tried very hard to disappear."

"Gee, I'm sorry man." 

Logan shrugged and pinged the ball straight at Henry, who had spoken last.  "Hey, I'm the one who still plays."

"Well, it can't all be bad, then."  Carl smiled.  "Maybe a wheelchair is the way to go."  Logan threw him a dirty look, then smiled, realizing there was no malice in Carl's comment.

"Maybe it is," he admitted.  "My knees don't give _me any trouble."_

Aaron had turned away and snared the photographer who was roaming the floor.  "Come on, let's get a photo, guys.  Logan…come around.  You're in front."

Logan raised his eyebrows and gave Max an inscrutable look, then went around to join them.  There was more than a little good-natured push and shove as they arranged themselves in a loose group.

"Hey, what's with the ball, guys?"  Max asked, suddenly curious about the under-inflated object which had ended up on Logan's lap.  Logan quickly tossed it to her, while they were still moving about trying to get into position.  She read the words written on the ball, _Interscholastic Boys Basketball Championship, 2006, and a pile of signatures, including two labeled 'coach'.  Max smiled, then threw it back.  "Aiight."_

*~*~*~

Logan, his tie undone and the collar of his shirt unbuttoned, stared out the window as he waited for Max to return from the bedroom, where she'd immediately gone to check on Eva.  He had enjoyed the evening more than he had ever thought possible.  The apartment was quiet.  Both children and Original Cindy had slept through their arrival.  Max walked quietly back through the apartment, barefoot, her feet quietly slapping the floor. She stood next to the window, taking in the view.  Logan drew near and pulled her into his lap.  "Hey, you," he whispered softly into her ear, then turned her face toward his and kissed her deeply.  She responded in kind, melting into his arms and returning the gesture.  

"Glad you went?" she asked backing off a little.

"Mm-hmmm."  Logan looked into her eyes, dreamily, and smiled.  She appeared as a shadow, haloed by the light from the window.  "You?"

"Yes," she said, wearing a little smile of satisfaction.  "It was nice."

"Nice?"

"Mm-hmmm."

"Not the word I would have used."  He tensed as Max snorted a short laugh into his ear, sending a thrill through him.  "How does it feel to have been the most beautiful woman in the room?"

"How does it feel to have been the most beautiful man?"  Max looked amused, seeing his face darken, and realizing he'd blushed.

"It feels just fine," he eventually replied.

"Me too."  Logan caught the flash of teeth as Max gave a wide smile.  She settled herself more comfortably and reached up, starting to pull the hairpins from her hair.  Logan ran his hands up her arms, tickling her as he went, and started to help her, loving the feel of her hair as it started to tumble free in soft waves over her neck and shoulders.  She happily hummed a few bars of one of the songs she'd heard through the course of the evening – something from the early days of the century, an oldie, but timeless in its appeal.  Romantic.  Sexy.  She had eventually managed to coax Logan onto the dance floor, where she sat on his lap as he swayed, one hand holding the dress out of the way so it didn't tangle in the wheels, the other wrapped around his neck.  He was slightly intoxicated, but whether from the wine they'd drunk or from her presence, or a combination of both, was immaterial.  

"…with one look in your eyes, baby…I never knew I could feel so loved…hmmm hmmm hmmm one precious moment changed my life…" Max sang quietly to herself.  Logan listened, curious, not minding the odd dud note – she was no singer, and so rarely sang at all.  The song was old.  He remembered it vaguely from his early days in high school.

Logan studied Max, his long-lashed eyes soft and dark in the moonlight, the invitation unmistakable.  Max leaned in and trailed gentle kisses down his face – a series of soft pecks ending at his lips and there she stayed until the sudden noise of a door sliding open disturbed both of them and they looked around guiltily, separating with a soft giggle as Original Cindy, hand held up to pretend to shield her eyes, made a beeline for the bathroom.

"Oops, don't mind me, folks.  Just passin' through."

Cindy was back in a few minutes, again pretending to shield her eyes.

"OC, it's safe now, you can look," said Max, trying not to laugh.

"Phew.  That was more than these ol' lesbian eyes ever wanted to see, peeps," she grinned.

Max leaned comfortably into Logan's shoulder and relaxed.  "So…"

"So…how was your partay, my brother, my sistah?"

"The partay was just fine," replied Logan, mimicking her vocal style.

"And so was the partay in this trick-ass apartment," she responded in kind.  "No need to fret with Aunty OC to babysit, aiight?"

"Yes, ma'am."

"Now, Aunty OC's feelin' kinda punk.  All this chasin' 'round after the little 'uns has her all worn out, so she's gonna hit the hay again."

"Night, OC."

"Good night, Max."

"Good night, Original Cindy." 

Max and Logan looked at each other and smiled as they heard the door slide shut again.

"Now, where were we?" Logan asked.

"Here," replied Max huskily, "And here…and here."  She again trailed kisses down his face.

"And here."  Logan gently held her head with both hands and claimed her lips for his own.  They held that position, for a few minutes, enjoying the sensation.  Logan dropped one of his hands to Max's bare thigh, smoothing the warm flesh with his hand, creeping higher and higher until he flicked the elastic of her panties.

"Logan?"

"Yes, Max."

"Let's go to bed."

"I thought you'd never ask."


	22. B & E For Breakfast

****

Chapter 22: B & E For Breakfast

The apartment was quiet when Logan eventually crawled out of bed, groaning at the pounding head caused by too much wine and too little sleep. He was thankful that when Max had left to take Original Cindy home, she had taken the children with her. He transferred carefully into the wheelchair, wincing as it creaked, pulled on some clothes and put on his glasses. After a stop in the bathroom, he carefully made his way to the kitchen. Max had left a bottle of aspirin on one of the kitchen counters, weighting down a note, that read, _Thought you may need this. Back in a few hours. Max._

Logan gratefully swallowed a couple of tablets with water and just sat there for about ten minutes, waiting for it to take effect. Max had also made coffee, but he resisted the temptation to pour himself a cup yet. He was eventually startled from his reverie by the phone, which started his head pounding again.

"Morning, sunshine," came Max's voice breezily down the line. "How's the head?"

"Could be better," was the cautious response.

"Figured we better give you some space to recover from last night."

"Thanks, Max." Logan's tone was neutral. He was not sure whether to be grateful or insulted.

"No need to sound so excited about it," Max chuckled. "We'll be back sometime this afternoon. Enjoy the quiet while it lasts. Late..."

"Later..."

Logan looked at the oven clock briefly, and headed for the shower.

*~*~*~

Max and Original Cindy, with both children firmly in tow, wandered South Market Street, browsing the stalls for bargains. Cindy idly examined some slightly suspect electronic equipment advertised as being "consignment" items by the stallholder. 

"And he gets his consignments where?" she asked Max, examining a compact DVD player, sitting on top of a box.

Max looked at her friend and grinned. "Same place I used to. It's a free market economy." She shrugged. "Just don't expect the warranty to hold."

Cindy carefully replaced the remote back on top of the DVD unit with distaste. "No offense, but..."

"Yeah, I know. You're a straight-up girl, yadda yadda." She shifted Eva from one hip to the other, the stroller having been pressed into service as a shopping cart.

"Something like that, boo."

*~*~*~

Logan emerged from the bathroom feeling a bit more human. He poured himself some coffee – now slightly stewed after being in the machine for several hours, and headed into the computer room, intending to check his e-mail.

The informant net seemed to be on vacation. Nothing much was happening, even with on-going investigations. Alec still hadn't managed to turn up anything about the disappearing medical supplies, according to the message he had left on the answering machine the previous day. Logan tried to hack into various hospital records to see if he could establish just how much in the way of medical supplies was missing, but without much success. The Internet was a bit "touchy" – the line dropping out several times - and his concentration wasn't really there.

He started work on a short piece on the reunion to appear in the school paper. It was a pleasure to exercise his journalistic writing skills for a change – most of his work these days was devoted to hacking rather than writing. He relaxed into writing the article and had a first draft churned out in a very short time.

After working on the article for an hour or so, Logan took a break to eat something, feeling better now that the aspirin and coffee had kicked in.

Alec wandered in a few minutes later, entering the penthouse without knocking. 

"Don't you ever knock?" Logan asked, annoyance in his voice.

"Not if I can help it," Alec replied cheerfully, helping himself to some toast from the pile Logan had made.

"Help yourself to some toast," Logan said sarcastically.

Alec raised an eyebrow. "Don't mind if I do."

They ate in silence for a few minutes.

"Okay, so what brings you here at this hour on a Sunday?"

"Gotta lead on those missing medical supplies and thought you might want to tag along while I do some B & E."

"Uh huh." Logan looked at Alec consideringly. "What sort of lead?"

"You don't really want to know, but suffice to say, I was told about something going down..."

Logan paused for a moment, thinking. "Max has the car, and I can't exactly ride on the back of your motorcycle."

"Not a problem. I brought wheels."

"Alec, it's broad daylight."

"No problem. I got it covered."

"Okayyyyyyyyy." Logan replied doubtfully, and gestured for Alec to lead the way, stopping to shut down the computer in his office, and to grab his laptop and phone on the way out the door.

Once they were at street level, Alec led the way to a wreck of an SUV, an ugly, charcoal-colored monstrosity, with chipped paint and a bent metal coat-hanger for an aerial.

Logan stifled a laugh. "What the hell is this?"

"What?" Alec asked, puzzled.

"I haven't seen one of these in years. A Honda Element? This is yours?"

"So?"

"Alec, it's one of the ugliest cars ever made." Logan shook his head, amused at the handsome X5's choice of transportation.

"An Aztek wins prizes for beauty?"

Logan gave Alec a dirty look. "At least I have a reasonable excuse."

"The engine runs. That's all that matters." Alec was getting prickly at the criticism.

"I guess. Just never expected to see you in one."

"Logan?" Alec glared at him.

"Yes, Alec."

"Shut up and get in. It goes, and it'll get us there."

Logan shrugged and transferred into the vehicle without further comment.

Alec drove downtown, crossing into the northern part of what had once been Sector 5, and into the oldest part of Seattle, near Pioneer Square. Near the old Smith Building, Seattle's first skyscraper, Alec pulled the car into a seedy alleyway filled with smelly, beat-up dumpsters and trash. The alley was quiet – too quiet. Logan booted up the laptop and scanner, attempting to find out if anyone was around. The buildings backing onto the alley mostly had old, rusty metal doors, which defeated the scanner. He watched as Alec picked the locks on a security gate and opened the solid metal door behind it. Alec flicked his flashlight on, gave a quick, ironic salute, and turned down the stairs behind the door.

Logan felt vulnerable and exposed sitting in the car. He hunkered down to wait, pondering on what he knew of the history of this area. He wondered if the cellar Alec had just entered formed part of the old Seattle underground, or whether it was blocked off from the subterranean pathways, that linked some 30 blocks. He had been on the underground tour with his dad when he was a child – had screamed at the sight of a huge rat running along the overhead pipes – the _rat monorail_, as the tour guide had called it.

Logan got some amusement at the thought of Alec being down with the rats, forgetting the sewers of Terminal City where they had established their supply run back in the day. He was watchful. The alley was too quiet, and quiet just wasn't safe – as any spy manual would say. There was a certain amount of truth to the maxim that there's safety in numbers.

Logan tapped away at the computer, but the metal doors and subterranean chamber continued to defeat the scanner technology. He was going to have to rely on Alec keeping himself out of trouble. He shut down the computer and contented himself with visual surveillance.

Logan almost jumped out of his skin when the cellphone in his pocket started to ring. He flicked it open, and, seeing the number displayed, answered with a smile on his face. "Hey, you."

"Hey, yourself," responded Max. "Where are you?"

"Some alleyway down near Yesler and 1st."

"What on earth are you doing there?"

"Believe me, you don't wanna know."

"Lemme guess. Alec?"

Logan bared his teeth in the faintest of grins. "Yup."

"Call me if you wanna be rescued."

"I will." He flipped the phone shut and was promptly startled by a tap on the passenger side window, looking out to see a uniformed police officer waving a nightstick.

"Would you mind stepping out of the car?"

"Officer?"

"I said, get out of the car. I'm not sure what you're up to, but I've been watching you for some time. Get out of the car before I force you out."

"Officer, would you mind looking behind the seat?"

Logan surreptitiously re-opened his phone and pressed Alec's speed dial – holding the phone so it wasn't visible, and hopefully wouldn't be heard.

"What's that?"

"That's my wheelchair. If you want me to get out, you'll have to hand me the pieces, because I am _not_ sitting on the ground in this nasty alley."

The policeman looked through the window of the car at Logan's legs and made his decision, visibly relaxing.

"I'm just waiting for my friend to come back and we'll be on our way."

The cop backed off, still slightly suspicious, just as Alec sauntered around the corner, whistling.

"Hey, pal, sorry to keep you waiting. Took longer than I thought." He had his hands deep in his pockets and a faint dirt smudge on his face. Alec flung the door open and got into the driver's seat.

"Alec," Logan said, warningly.

"Oh, sorry officer, didn't see you there. What's the problem?"

"No problem. Just might be better if you parked on the main street in the future. I thought your friend here was up to something."

Alec started the engine. "Sorry officer. Just got delayed. We weren't illegally parked or anything?"

"No."

"In that case…" Alec put the car in gear and slowly drove off.


	23. Frogs & Snails

****

Disclaimer: Don't own 'em, wish I did, never will. However, if the suits ever feel like handing 'em over, well, here I am waiting.

****

A/N: Many thanks to the Almighty Betas, catherder and alaidh, for beating the Aussie out of me. Also, many thanks to my many on-line friends. I don't think this would still be going without your support and encouragement. You guys are the greatest

I know there's a lot of you out there reading. Please take the time to sign in and drop me a review. I can take criticism just as much as praise. Also, if anyone has anything they would particularly like to see happen, please let me know.

****

Chapter 23: Frogs and Snails

Alec drove in silence, having pointed the car roughly in the direction of Fogle Towers, a smug expression on his face. He flicked a glance at Logan every now and then, waiting expectantly. Logan was watching him intently, waiting, drumming his fingers on his knee. 

"So are you gonna tell me what happened?" Logan finally asked.

"Nothing happened."

"Alec, you're covered in dust and dirt. Is that normal for you on a B & E? And why did I have to come? You obviously didn't need me here."

Alec gave a quirky grin. "Guess not. Just wanted to remind you of the things I have to do in the name of Eyes Only."

"Alec!" Logan's tone was angry and a little sad.

"Sorry, just feeling pissy. I was hoping your spy-eye would be able to see past those metal doors. Guess it was a forlorn hope at best.

"So how did you end up looking like you've been dragged through a dirt-pile?"

"Kind of went sideways. Someone came down the tunnel and I had to find somewhere to hide...fast."

"Let me guess. Overhead pipes."

Alec looked at Logan in surprise. "How did you know?"

"Was the building blocked off, or did it seem to go back farther than it should?"

"Went back for ages. The tunnel was full of old junk with, like, brick arches and metal supports."

"You were in the Seattle underground. Your hiding place used to be known as the _rat monorail_ for obvious reasons."

"Not the sewers?"

"No."

"Okay. I've heard of that. Thought it was just an urban legend. Now the sewers...them I know."

Logan laughed, then his phone rang and he answered automatically.

"Hey?"

"Logan, where are you?" Max's voice came through loud and clear.

"On the way back. Why?"

"Can you pick up Jonas from Marianne's office? It's sort of on the way."

"I guess…" He looked at Alec, who nodded, having heard the request.

"Yup, we can."

"Thanks, Logan. See ya soon."

Alec glanced at Logan. "Where to, boss?"

Logan rattled off the address quickly, adding, "and I'm not your boss."

"Whatever." Alec turned the car across the traffic to a barrage of horns, heading across town toward Marianne's office. 

A few minutes later, they pulled into the street of small businesses where she had her shopfront office, and managed to find a parking space almost right in front. When a couple of beeps on the horn didn't bring Jonas running out, Logan started to reach behind his seat for the pieces of the wheelchair, intending to go in and get him. Alec put out a restraining hand. "I'll go." Sensing Logan starting to protest, he added, "I'll be faster. Don't you wanna see what I got here?" He patted his bulging back pocket as he stood by the car.

"Sure." Logan's grumpy expression relaxed again. "Bip bip bip," he grinned.

Alec emerged a few minutes later with his arm draped over Jonas's shoulders, deep in conversation with the eleven-year-old. Jonas smiled a greeting at his father's cousin, seated in the unfamiliar vehicle. "Hey, Uncle Logan. Sorry, didn't recognize you without Bessietoo."

"Hey, Jonas. No problem. Sent the slave in," he winked. Logan noted Jonas's backpack, loosely slung over one shoulder. "Staying the night?"

"Yeah – too boring at home."

Logan laughed. "Nothing's changed since I was a kid, then."

Alec opened the reverse-opening back door so that Jonas could climb into the back seat. "Let's get this show on the road," he said, restarting the engine. "Hey, Jonas, you sure you wanna hang with this boring old stick-in-the-mud?" he winked at Logan.

Jonas grinned at the byplay between Alec and Logan. Jonas was well enough acquainted with Alec to know that he sometimes rubbed Logan the wrong way. They also engaged in some witty repartee from time to time, teasing each other mercilessly. Alec's lack of maturity often annoyed Logan, and Alec became easily frustrated with Logan's lack of appreciation for loud bars and louder music. He had also never really forgotten that long ago pool game, even though it had since proven not to be a fluke. Being beaten by an ordinary rankled the X5, but being beaten by an ordinary in a wheelchair on several occasions since that fateful day was just plain humiliating. Pool was as close to a level playing field between them as anything could be. It was Alec's frequent lament to himself that he should have known something was up when Logan had, seemingly innocently, asked if he could break, and Max had nudged Sketchy out of the way in order to get a better view of the table.

"Uncle Logan's not so bad," Jonas eventually responded. "Anyway, Ben and me're gonna go shoot some hoops."

"Okay. Just let me know if ya want some real fun."

Logan shot Alec a warning look.

"What?"

"Nothing, Alec. Just drive."

As soon as they walked into the apartment, Jonas disappeared into Ben's room and Logan pointed Alec in the direction of the bathroom to clean up.

Max, holding Eva on her hip, watched Alec go with some amusement. "What's he been up to?" 

"Hiding out on the rat monorail."

"Rat monorail?" She raised an enquiring eyebrow at Logan.

"Overhead pipes in the underground." Logan responded. He turned and faced her with a wry grin. "It's well-named." 

"Nice."

"Apt name. I once saw a rat as big as a Rottweiler down there."

"I've seen a few myself. Man-eating rat kills son of Seattle socialite. I can see the headline now," she grinned, following Logan as he spun the chair and headed for the computer room. "We're going to the park so you serious men can have some downtime." 

"Have fun."

"Always…" Max trailed a wave behind her as she left him at the door of the computer room. Logan heard her calling Ben and Jonas, then the front door slammed as they left.

It struck Logan with a pang how lucky he was to have found this wonderful woman who was his wife. It was the second time in one day she'd cleared the decks so that he could have some quiet time. She may have been made in a lab from parts of many different people and animals, but deep in her heart, she showed more kindness and humanity than most people. She had proven time and time again how deeply she cared for those closest to her, and this was one more example.

Logan smiled and touched the framed photo taken by Ben on a short trip to Canada the previous year. The photo had pride of place beside the computer monitor. _You're the best thing that ever happened to me,_ was his final thought as he booted up the computer.

"Alec, you're dripping on me." Logan, concentrating on the computer screen in front of him, had suddenly become aware that he wasn't alone and that there was water trickling down the back of his neck.

"Sorry." Alec gave his face a wipe with the towel he'd carried from the bathroom. He draped the towel over one shoulder and leaned forward again to get a better view of the screen. "So..."

"Hmmm?"

"Get what you wanted?"

"This is good data. It helps a lot."

"Well, I heard they were moving the stuff in there today, so I figured they'd be a bit disorganized and I might be able to...you know."

"I know."

Logan was pleased with what Alec had given him, but he wasn't going to admit that. Alec had managed to obtain exactly the right information in his brief, underground foray. The two disks he had given Logan were going to lead him right to the heart of the smuggling ring.

"Ummm...Logan, if it's not too much trouble, I'd – er – like to get going. Gotta return the car and all..."

"Oh, ah, sure." Logan reached into the breast pocket of his shirt and pulled out a couple of bills, handing them back over his shoulder to Alec. Alec had finally come through and deserved his payment. He was, after all, running a business, not a charity. He and Gem barely scraped through on their PI earnings. The laundromat was what really brought in the dollars. "Where did you get that car from anyway?"

"I, sort of, borrowed it from a friend."

Logan raised his eyebrows and turned to look at Alec over his shoulder, dragging his gaze away from the screen.

"And, well, she doesn't know I borrowed it, and..."

Logan was trying hard not to laugh at Alec's discomfort at being caught.

"She did say I could borrow it any time..."

"Get outta here before Asha has your hide." Judging by Alec's reaction, Logan had guessed correctly at the ownership of the car.

"Sure...thanks for the, er..."

"Go. Take the car back. Give my regards to Asha."

Alec had an on-again, off-again relationship with the former revolutionary, Asha, who now worked as a teacher in a local school. Logan didn't envy Alec if he was caught. Asha had a way of cutting him right down to size.

The door slammed shut as Alec left the apartment, and Logan went back to work on the files. He had enough here for his next Eyes Only broadcast, which he intended to put together that night.

It was after three the next time he looked up. His stomach was growling with hunger. Max and the children were not back from the park, and Logan figured that lunch and a break were in order, or Max was likely to smack him upside the head for spending all of Sunday working. After a quick peanut butter sandwich, he rolled out the door.

The park was about a block away, toward the waterfront, the basketball court being on the nearer side. He had a pretty good idea of where he'd find Max.

"Hey, stranger," the voice sounded in his left ear as he watched some kids playing soccer on the grass just inside the park entrance. "Didn't expect to see you here."

"Didn't want a smack upside the head for working all day."

Max laughed. "The boys are playing ball. You wanna show them how it's done? You got moves, ya know."

"Think I'll give it a miss."

She walked beside him, pushing Eva in the stroller, retrieved from the car on her way out earlier. Eva was asleep, which meant she'd probably be up half the night. Her cheeks were rosy in the sunlight and she looked peaceful and serene, her tiny hands bunched into fists. They made their way toward the basketball court. Max had been pushing Eva around in the stroller because the baby had been restless, fretful, and whiney while her mother sat and watched the boys. Max could have gone back home – Jonas and Ben were quite capable of looking after themselves – but it was a nice day, and the park was a hive of activity as the people of uptown Seattle took advantage of the sunshine.

Max found a nice shady place under a tree, locked the brakes on the stroller, and sat on the grass in order to watch the boys, who were playing with some other boys from the neighborhood, rushing around with glowing faces on the blacktop court. Logan pulled up next to her, then reconsidered. He slid to the ground and scooted around and back so that he could lean against the tree, dragging the seat cushion with him for padding. Max promptly drew closer and leaned into his chest, sitting sideways so that her legs crossed over his. She turned the stroller slightly with her hand to angle across so she could see inside just by turning her head, and rested back comfortably in Logan's embrace, while he traced slow circles with a long forefinger on the tempting bit of smooth, exposed flesh between the top of her jeans and the bottom of her t-shirt.

They sat quietly for a few minutes watching the boys shoot hoops and run up and down.

"Feel like showing 'em how it's done?" Max asked quietly.

"Nope." Logan was mildly drowsy, feeling relaxed and happy. "Just feel like..."

"Yeah..." she sighed happily. "This is good."

The atmosphere of the park was peaceful, even allowing for the fact that it was full of people enjoying the fine weather. Max and Logan sat quietly in the shade, enjoying the afternoon. Several minutes later, Eva woke with a squawk, and Max leaned across to release the seatbelt and lift her out, then settled back against Logan, moving her feet so that her legs were more oblique than straight over Logan's, and bent, so that her knees formed a high barrier. Logan smoothed his daughter's hair, which was damp with perspiration where she'd been leaning against the stroller at the back. She seemed warmer than usual to his touch, even allowing for her ancestry. Both she and Ben had a slightly elevated normal body temperature, which was somewhere in between those of their parents – a common result with mixed X5-ordinary offspring which had become apparent early in the integration of the transgenics into Seattle society. Even allowing for that, though, Eva felt warmer than normal. Logan frowned, but then put it down to the warm, sunny day. Eva nuzzled her mother, searching. With a sigh, Max discreetly started to feed the baby, for once wishing that baby formula was a more reliable commodity. Exposing herself in public was not one of her favorite things to do. Normally, she enjoyed the closeness this entailed, but when it came to doing it in a public place, then that was an entirely different story. She wasn't afraid to use her sexuality, but some things just weren't for show.

Logan rested one hand on her bent knees, forming a further barrier, and held her with the other. Max smiled to herself, feeling loved and safe. Logan's strong chest made a comfortable cushion for her back, much more comfortable than the rough bark of the tree. It didn't matter that she was the physically stronger of the two of them; he always made her feel secure and wanted, somehow. Logan lightly stroked her arm, tickling her pleasantly.

"Hey, that tickles," she said, wriggling.

"Really? It was meant to."

"Oh, you," she dug her elbow back into him, but then realized it was too low down and he wouldn't feel it anyway.

"Ouch," he joked, seeing the movement out of the corner of his eye.

"So…Alec get what you wanted?"

"Yes, but I'm not telling him that."

She gave a short laugh. "Meanie." She reconsidered momentarily. "But that's cool. Just what I'd do."

They watched the game in front of them for a few minutes. Max sat Eva up on her lap and proceeded to burp her, intending to swap her over. Logan looked down at his daughter, who still looked flushed, even in the cool shade of the tree. "Max, is she okay?" He looked at his daughter's fever-bright eyes, looking around her and then lighting on her dad's face, producing a broad smile.

"I think so. She feels a little warm, but…no, I'm sure it's nothing."

"Okay, all the same, I think we should go soon."

Max sighed. "I guess so."

Max relaxed again, swapping sides with the baby, and again watching the two boys. This time, Eva broke off contact with an enormous sneeze, scaring herself into a loud cry. Max looked at her in consternation, then gave a comforting hug. "It's okay, baby. It was just a sneeze." She rocked Eva gently, holding her close, while Logan looked on in concern. "Logan, I think you may be right," Max said thoughtfully. "She does feel a little warm. Maybe we should go home now." She swung her legs around off Logan's and elegantly rose to her feet. When she was upright, she dusted herself off with one hand.

"Probably a good idea." Logan agreed, scooting around to climb back into the wheelchair.

A wave from Max got Ben's attention, and she pointed toward the gate to indicate that they were leaving. Ben held up a couple of fingers to indicate they'd be ready to go in a few minutes. They met the boys on the way out, Max gave Ben the stroller to push as she still carried Eva, who had started to squall when her mother attempted to put her down. Max had picked her up again with a shrug and pushed the stroller one-handed until Ben and Jonas arrived. Ben took the stroller unwillingly at first, then he and Jonas started racing it up the sidewalk at breakneck speed – still burning off excess energy even after several hours in the sun. Jonas was certainly proving that he had recovered from the sprained ankle suffered during their stay at the cabin.

After watching them race up the street, Max and Logan looked at each other and smiled.

"Were you ever like that?" Max enquired.

"Yup," came the response.

She shook her head resignedly. "Boys!"

"Yup."

They let them run, content to take their time.


	24. Sugar & Spice

****

Disclaimer: Not mine, wish they were, etc etc, and that includes any characters from VS3 who may pop up from time to time.

****

A/N: Megathanks to the Almighty Betas, alaidh and catherder.

****

Chapter 24: Sugar & Spice

"Cut it out, boys!" Logan called out for what seemed to be the fiftieth time that evening, looking up, yet again, from his notepad.

Ben and Jonas were still in top gear, hours after returning from the park, and were bouncing the basketball between them in Ben's bedroom – Ben from his bed and Jonas from the trundle bed that slid underneath when it wasn't in use.

"Boys, no basketballs inside!" This time, it was Max who called out, feeling slightly frazzled because Eva had been clingy and whining since the afternoon. The ball made the familiar _thunk_ again as it bounced between the beds. She exchanged looks with Logan, uncurled herself from the sofa, handed Eva to her father, and stormed into Ben's room, while Logan looked on, a bemused expression on his face. _Hell hath no fury like an X5 scorned_.

Logan held Eva comfortably in the crook of his arm, while he continued to scribble on the notepad resting on his knees. She curled into him, gripping the pocket of his shirt in one chubby fist while she chewed mightily on other fist. She looked up at the reflection of the lamp on his glasses – the only light in the room.

Max came back holding the offending ball, which she parked firmly on one of the armchairs. She gestured to Logan as to whether he wanted to hand back the baby, but he shook his head firmly. "No, leave her, we're fine," he smiled and started writing again.

Max left the room for a few minutes, and when she returned, she had changed out of her jeans and T-shirt, and was wearing Logan's threadbare red bathrobe. Again, Logan reminded himself that he'd been meaning to replace that bathrobe with a new one – it was Max's favorite, but it was showing definite signs of age – frayed cuffs and an unravelling hem. _What would anyone think if they showed up and my wife was wearing that old thing?_ he wondered idly. Max sat in the corner of the sofa, pulled her feet up underneath her, and gave him a glowing smile. She proceeded to stare out the window into the clear night sky.

Whatever she'd said to Ben and Jonas had obviously worked, because there hadn't been a sound from Ben's room since she came out with the ball. Eva was also quiet, except for the rhythmic slurping sound she made as she sucked on her fist. Max had bathed her as soon as they got home that afternoon in an attempt to cool her down, and although she still felt overly warm to the touch, she smelled pleasantly of soap and baby powder.

Logan kept writing, the scratching of his pen the only other sound in the room. Every few minutes, he looked up at Max, still staring out the window, and at the now-drowsy baby – who appeared to be absorbing his evening calmness. Eventually, he looked down to see that the long-lashed eyes were closed and her fist had fallen away from her mouth. She was asleep. He put the notepad and pen aside on the coffee table and looked down at the sleeping child, a dopey and doting grin on his face.

Max heard the notepad hit the glass tabletop and turned to face him. "You okay there?" she asked quietly.

He nodded and shifted his grip on the sleeping child slightly, testing how deep asleep she was. Satisfied, he carefully lowered her to his lap, trying to ensure that nothing would catch in his wheels, and that she wouldn't fall.

"I can do that," Max said.

"No, it's okay, I will," he responded, thinking, _No, Max, I really want to do this. Sometimes it makes me sad that I don't do it more often._ He slowly turned and made his way out of the room. Logan was more than happy to take a break from his writing – the words just weren't coming and he'd been writing and re-writing the same paragraph for the previous quarter hour or more. He'd given up on the computer earlier in favor of keeping Max company.

When Logan returned, Max looked at him and had some trouble adjusting the expression on her face, and in restraining herself from laughter. It seemed that Eva's fist hadn't been the only thing in her mouth – the front of Logan's shirt was a crumpled, damp mess where she'd been sucking on the fabric as well.

Logan caught her look. "What?"

"Nothing, just…" she pointed.

Logan looked down, grinned, and shrugged. "She must have thought I needed another bath today."

"You don't?"

He ignored her comment. "Want some juice?"

"Sure, sounds good to me." She smiled.

Logan returned with two glasses and the juice bottle thrust between his legs. He poured them each a drink before accepting Max's invitation to join her on the sofa. She curled up next to him, glass in hand, and gave a silent toast to the now quiet apartment.

They sat in silence for a while, leaning into each other, easy in each other's company, as they sipped the tangy orange juice. Logan idly played with a lock of Max's hair, a wispy, wavy tendril, hanging contrary to the rest. Max's hair was soft and silky, permed into soft waves, thanks to Original Cindy. Cindy, always on Max's case about the feminine arts, would no longer let her get away with anything less than a proper hairstyle and manicured nails. Her perfect figure and skin didn't need much help, but OC never stopped riding her back about her hair and nails.

__

"You gotta keep up appearances, boo. You livin' in that fancy high-rise like the Queen of Seattle. Gotta look the part, aiight?"

"OC!"

"Besides, you want Hotboy to be ashamed to take you out in public 'cause you're looking like a scarecrow? Uh-uh. Not happening."

Max smiled to herself, thinking of this and many similar conversations over the years, briefly wondering what Original Cindy would make of Logan's worn-out red bathrobe, which Max had never let her see. _Probably turn it into rags_. Some things had to stay private and Max taking such pleasure in wearing one of Logan's old bathrobes was one of them. Eventually, she became aware that Logan was looking at her strangely, his green eyes almost black in the lamplight.

"What?"

"Nothing," he responded, smiling, and thinking how serenely happy she'd looked.

Gently drawing her face toward his, he kissed her. Max sinuously straightened and turned her whole body without breaking the connection, straddling Logan's legs. She deepened the contact, breathing in his manly scent, tasting the remnants of the tangy juice on his lips. She leaned into him, forcing his back against the backrest of the sofa, pinning him there with an arm either side.

"Whoa, girl," was all Logan could gasp out when Max finally broke contact. She flashed him a saucy smile as she rose, trailing her nails down his arm, and with a cheeky swish of her hair, left him – the unspoken invitation in the air.

Logan watched her go, his expression completely bemused, before transferring back into the wheelchair and following. By the time he'd finished in the bathroom, she was waiting for him in the bedroom, leaning casually on the windowsill, glancing over her shoulder at him. As Logan reached down to start taking off his shoes, she shook her head and crouched down. She untied the laces with a flourish and set each shoe gently down in their usual position on the floor, watching his reaction, a half-smile on her face the whole time. She pulled off his socks, tucking them into the shoes for the time being.

At Max's imperious gesture, Logan moved onto the bed, where she efficiently stripped him to his boxers and t-shirt, and pushed him onto his back. She started working on him, going through the range of motion exercises so necessary to prevent contracture and stiffness. As she worked on his legs, she managed keep her eyes on his face, while he half-smiled back at her. Logan had placed his glasses on the nightstand beside the bed. In the light of the solitary bedlamp, his long-lashed, reflective, green eyes had a soft, vulnerable look to them, which Max found irresistible and endearing. They didn't speak – just enjoyed each other's physical presence, maintaining eye contact all the while.

When the exercise routine was done, Max gestured for Logan to sit up, whereupon she quickly pulled off his t-shirt and, while he lifted himself up, she pulled off his silk boxers, a cheeky grin on her face. She walked around the bed and climbed up beside Logan, while he settled himself comfortably in the bed. The night was warm, and for the moment he left the covers down at the foot of the bed. Max knelt beside him demurely, within easy reach, and waited.

Logan looked up at Max, smiling, then, with one hand, released the knot in the cord of the bathrobe. He pushed the robe from her shoulders, allowing it to slide down her back, revealing her nakedness. He admired her womanly form for a moment.

He reached up again, his fingertips accidentally brushing one nipple, which instantly contracted, then he pulled her down firmly with a grip on her upper arm. He enfolded her in a tight embrace, tasting her lips, her throat, then lips again…testing and tasting. Max, partly lying on her side, had one leg bent up and over Logan's, feeling the contact of his skin on the sensitive inner side of her thigh. She ran her fingers through the short, curly hair on his chest, and teased and tickled his armpit and nipples. Logan ran his hand softly down her back, buttocks and thigh, and pulled her up slightly, bringing her breasts into reach of his exploring tongue. A moment later, his questing fingers found her moist opening. She arched her back and closed her eyes for the first time, surrendering to the sensation. 

He brought her to the brink, then rolled her onto her back and hefted himself on top, where she guided him into position and locked his legs in place with her own. The strong, rhythmic contractions she performed had the desired effect. Having the lamp on heightened Logan's pleasure. He could see Max's reactions to what he could only feel in his imagination. He looked down at her, a crooked smile on his face. An instant later, he was looking up as she casually flipped them both over without missing a beat. 

A beam of delight spread over Logan's face at a sudden intruding thought. He'd once seen an old autograph book of his mother's, dating from her early school days. Once of the entries sprang to mind. _Honeymoon salad – lettuce alone. Honeymoon sandwich – honey, roll over and lettuce on top._ Max didn't understand the reason for his smile, but as she loomed over him, she returned it in kind.

Logan came back to the present with a thump as Max hesitated slightly and her expression changed. She smothered a cry and held her position. A moment later, he felt the familiar ripples tear through his chest. With a satisfied sigh, Max lowered herself down, then half-rolled off and lay in the crook of his arm.

"Mission accomplished," she whispered in his ear in an explosion of breath, causing him to break out in goosebumps. She giggled.

"Definitely mission accomplished," Logan responded quietly.

Max tugged Logan over on his side so they were face to face, holding each other close. She reached her foot over and dragged his legs across as well, running her toes down his calf and then just leaving her leg comfortably draped over his.

"Who are you, and what are you doing in my bed?" Logan asked, smiling. "I'm under a spell and you must be the witch."

"Yeah," she smiled. "I'm the Wicked Witch of the Space Needle, and I've come to seduce you."

"Ah, I think you already did that." He nuzzled her neck, tracing a line of kisses down her jaw. Her hand rested lightly on his shoulder and his on her butt.

They both stopped at a thin cry from Eva, who had been asleep in her crib up until that point.

"Max?"

She was already up and reaching for the robe, which had slid onto the floor. She quickly pulled it on and tied it loosely around her body as she took the three steps across the room to the baby.

"Hey, sweet thing, what's up?" she asked, gathering Eva up. "Logan?" She gave him a helpless look. "She's red hot."

Logan reached for his boxer shorts from the seat of the wheelchair, pulled them on, and pushed himself up the bed until he was able to lean against the headboard, crossing his legs in front of him. "Bring her here." Logan put a cool hand on the baby's brow, then felt her cheeks. "Okay, give her to me. Can you get a damp washcloth from the bathroom." He looked up at Max. "Let's see if we can't cool her down."

Max was back in a moment and silently handed him the washcloth. "I'll get a diaper. She probably needs changing."

"Okay, just give me a minute here." He sponged down Eva's face, feeling a faint twinge of guilt now for taking so much pleasure in his earlier activities while his little girl wasn't well. Max came back, her expression worried. Eva had never had a sick day since her birth, despite being a more difficult child than her brother. Ben had also seldom been ill; in fact, he had sailed through his infancy with few problems. All things considered, Logan was also seldom sick. She was unused to this, and it showed in the deep frown she wore. Logan stripped Eva of her nightclothes and lay her on the bed in front of him while he sponged her down. It was an easy enough matter for him to take the next step and change her diaper while Max looked on. Eva gave a fretful cry, not liking what her father was doing. 

"Take it easy, sweetie." Max sat on the edge of the bed, looking troubled. "Logan, she's really hot." Max had her hand on the baby's cheek.

"I know."

"Logan, I'm going to call Aveta."

Logan nodded. "Good idea."

"She should be just about finished work for the night. Maybe she can come here on her way home."

"Sure. Good idea."

Max left them both to go and make the call.


	25. A Spoonful of Sugar

****

Disclaimer: Not mine, never will be, including anything that creeps in from VS3.

****

A/N: Many thanks to the Almighty Betas, catherder and alaidh.

Sorry about the delay in getting this up, and for the shortness of the chapter. There's been some RL issues this week.

****

Chapter 25: A Spoonful of Sugar

Max returned after calling Aveta and pulled on some panties, feeling somewhat under-dressed for visitors. She gave Logan his t-shirt, but he left it beside him on the bed.

"Ten minutes. She was already on her way home."

Logan nodded. He had Eva cradled in one arm while he sponged her off. She had stopped whining as soon as he picked her up. Max held her hands out to Logan to take the baby from him. She sat at the end of the bed and tried to feed her, but Eva turned her face away after a few half-hearted sucks, apparently not hungry, or possibly feeling her mother's tension. She handed the baby back to Logan, realizing that her own worry probably wasn't helping, and fetched a bottle of water from the kitchen. That was slightly more successful. Eva accepted the drink from her father. As ever, Logan maintained his cool head under stress. Max took the washcloth and rinsed it out in the bathroom. She started to sponge the baby herself. Her ears pricked up a few minutes later as she heard the distant _ping_ of the elevator, and left to go and open the door.

Logan heard the soft murmur of voices as they walked through the apartment. Aveta's rubber-soled shoes made little noise. As soon as they entered the room, Logan could see that the tall transgenic field medic had managed to extend her calming influence over Max. He could tell she had come straight from work – she was neatly dressed in a blue and white uniform, her auburn hair pinned back in a tidy bun at the back of her neck.

As Logan greeted her, Aveta's nostrils flared slightly. She was sensitive to the odors in the room, which she had vaguely scented on Max as she came in. Aveta gave Logan a knowing look and smiled. Logan, realizing that the field medic had picked up the lingering scent of his and Max's earlier activities, gave a self-deprecating shrug. They had nothing to hide from her. She had nursed Logan through the weeks of the Manticore virus cure, and had counseled and cared for him when the temporary cure for his paralysis, produced by Joshua's transfusion, had worn off. She had helped to deliver both children, and had all but moved in to ensure that Max obeyed doctor's orders when she became ill and threatened to miscarry Eva. She had been a daily visitor and had helped care for Logan when he returned home from the hospital after the accident that destroyed the exoskeleton and could have, again, ended his life several years before. No, neither of them had anything to hide from her, and they both had a great deal to be thankful for. 

For her part, Aveta considered them one of her greatest successes, and never ceased to be pleased at what she had helped bring about. And if this meant she had to come and see a sick child in a room scented with the proof of their love and devotion – hell, she wished them all the luck in the world, and that there were more such successes.

"Hey, Logan," the transgenic smiled. "And hello to you, young lady." Aveta quickly stripped off the gloves she wore to protect her over-sensitive hands. She took the baby from Logan and looked at her critically, absent-mindedly wiping away a stream of dribble from Eva's chin with the washcloth. "You know she's teething?"

"We know," Logan responded, thinking of his shirt from earlier that evening.

"Fever of about 105. High, but I've seen higher." Aveta sat carefully on the edge of the bed. "Let me take a look at you, sweetie."

Aveta took in the baby's glowing cheeks and slight running nose. There was little else to go on. The field medic had a sudden thought as to what might be the problem. 

"I think she has Roseola Infantum. We won't know for sure until the rash shows up…which won't be until after the fever breaks. Usually a couple of days, but in a half-X5, who can say? Sometimes there is no rash – just a grouchy kid with a fever, and sometimes, not even that."

"Roseola Infantum? What the hell is that?" Max asked.

"It's a virus," responded Logan. "A member of the herpes family…"

Aveta nodded her agreement. "It's not normally serious, but it can produce high fevers in some children – like we're seeing here."

"So…"

"Treat the fever – keep her cool. She's gonna be grouchy for the next few days. Give her plenty of fluids. Acetaminophen drops, if you can get them, would help."

"What about the rash?" Logan asked.

"Shouldn't be a problem. Keeping her cool and comfortable is the main thing. It isn't serious. The only real risk is febrile convulsions, but that shouldn't happen. If you're worried, call me again. I'll drop by in a couple of days, and see how you're doing, if you like."

Max smiled her thanks. "Guess there's a little more Cale in her cocktail than we thought." Max's small joke made both Logan and Aveta smile.

Aveta turned serious eyes on Max. "Yes, she does seem to have her daddy's immune system."

"Yeah, but her daddy's just fine." Max crossed the room and draped her arm across Logan's shoulders, leaning against him. "Thanks for coming, Aveta."

"No problem." She gently handed Eva back to her father, and pulled on her gloves, preparing to leave. She hesitated and turned back, giving Logan and Max both a quick hug. "Take care, Logan, Max."

"You, too, Aveta." Logan was mystified at the transgenic's sudden display of affection. She was normally cool, not wanting to be touched, an excellent medic, but a loner...solitary.

Max left to see Aveta out of the apartment. Again, he heard the murmuring voices and the click of the door. Max was back moments later, leaning against him as she stood by the bed. Logan reached his arm around her waist, pulling her closer. The other was still curved protectively around the baby.

"What was that all about?" he asked, his expression still somewhat bemused. 

Max shrugged. "What, you complaining?" she teased. "I'd have thought that a fine specimen like yourself would like being hugged by a beautiful woman, even in front of your wife."

"Max!"

"I keep telling her to loosen up...maybe she's finally taking my advice."

Logan smiled at the thought. Max touched her finger on his cheek, provoking another expression of bemusement. "What was that for?"

"Rubbing the cuteness in," she grinned. "Never could resist a guy with dimples."

"You going soppy on me?"

"Nope. Logan?"

"Yes?"

"Acetaminophen. We don't have any." Max was suddenly thoughtful.

"We can get some in the morning." Logan yawned and rotated his shoulders, easing the kinks in his neck. 

"Get some rest." Max plucked Eva from her father's grasp, spun on her heel, and left the room. Logan stared after her for a moment. When Max looked in a few minutes later, he had the light out and was deep asleep.

"Well, kid," she murmured into Eva's hair, "guess it's just us." She kissed Eva's head, smoothing her cheek across the baby's soft, downy hair. Max made a quick decision. Leaving the front door unlocked, but closed, she took the stairs to the roof, wedging it open, and found a vantage point where she could sit and look out over the edge, leaning her back against a piece of the building. She was above their apartment rather than the central, higher penthouse.

There was a breeze blowing, comfortable without being cold, off Puget Sound. This was exactly what Max had been hoping to take advantage of. She'd thrown a baby blanket over her shoulder in case it got too cool, but for now, it was pleasant. It wasn't the Space Needle, but it was high, and it was home, the first real home she'd ever had.

"Well, honey, it's a funny old life." She leaned comfortably into the framework around the skylight above the hallway and loosened the top of the bathrobe. This time, the baby started to suck happily enough. "Fifteen years ago, if you'd said I'd be living in one of the most exclusive high rises in Seattle – that I'd be happy…married…kids…the whole disaster, I'd have laughed. Now look at me – a responsible member of the community – wife, mother, moo-cow," she laughed at herself. "Funny…if I'd realized what that statue would bring me…" she paused, watching the blinking stars. "I'd have run a…No. You know what, kiddo? I don't think I'd have done anything any differently." Max smiled to herself. "Bast. Cats are supposed to be inscrutable…she had her own plans." She looked down at her daughter's fair hair. "The greater the trial, the better the reward. And if your daddy, and you, and your brother are my reward, then, hell, it's sure been worth it. 'Coz all things considered, my strange little life hasn't turned out so bad."


	26. Business Hours

**Disclaimer:**  Not mine, wish they were *sigh*.  VS3 isn't mine either.

**A/N:**  Thanks as always to catherder and alaidh for the beta.  This may seem a little shorter than usual.  I hope you'll forgive me, I've been somewhat under the weather for the last few weeks, and also very tired and stressed due to some things happening in RL.

**Chapter 26:  Business Hours**

Logan could hear Max in the background talking on the phone.  He was in the computer room making the final adjustments to an Eyes Only broadcast he intended to prerecord, and which he would set up to broadcast later in the day.  Max had sent Jonas and Ben to the park, telling them to come back when they wanted lunch.  "Make the most of the sunshine while it lasts," was her parting shot as they noisily ran out the door.

Logan had gone to the drug store first thing that morning and managed to get hold of the acetaminophen drops for Eva's fever.  Eva lay across Logan's lap on her tummy, one of her father's hands gently rubbing her back while he read through the typed notes on his computer screen.  He leaned the other elbow on the desk and thoughtfully tapped the back of his head with a pencil as he read.

Max, her phone call over, quietly entered the computer room and leaned a hand on Logan's shoulder, reading with him, her hair tickling his neck.  He touched her hand in acknowledgment of her presence, and resumed reading.  Finally, he leaned back in the chair, satisfied with what he had written.

"Looks like you're good to go," Max said with a smile.

"I think so."

"Logan, that was Gem on the phone.  She wants to know if I can hold the fort at Sublime for a few hours."

"Oh, okay, and you said?"

"I said I'd go."

"I'm meeting Matt at about four…"

"I was going to ride my bike – don't need the car."

"Oh, right."

"Besides, I need the exercise."

Logan shrugged.

"So, you don't mind?"

"No, should I?"

"No."  Logan turned around to face her, smiling, using the desk to pull himself around one-handed.

"Ah, Logan?"

"Yes, Max."  

She pointed down at Eva and started to laugh.  The baby was gripping the wheel of the chair, fortunately the one on which he had pivoted, with both hands, and was chewing on the tire.  "She seems to think your wheel is a teething ring."

Logan dissolved into laughter.  "She's half-X5 – she needs a big teething ring."  He gently untangled the baby's fingers and sat her up on his lap.

Max fetched her bike and a backpack of baby items.  She strapped Eva into the baby seat on the back and put a small helmet on her head, then she was gone, leaving Logan alone to make his recording.

Logan rolled into the pub a few minutes late, but considering the three-car collision he'd had to bypass on the way, he hadn't made bad time.  He looked for his friend and smiled as a familiar head snapped up, all attention, as the TV screen over the bar flickered from a baseball game to the familiar red, white, and blue stripes surrounding a pair of serious eyes.

"Do not attempt to adjust your set.  This is a streaming freedom video bulletin from the Eyes Only Informant Net.  The cable hack will last exactly sixty seconds.  It cannot be stopped, it cannot be traced and it is the only free voice left in this city.  For years, the citizens of Seattle had to make do with an outdated and only semi-functional medical system.  Since the civil war of the last decade, things have slowly improved, however, in recent times, a large black market in stolen medical supplies…."

"Hey, Matt.  How's things?"

The detective, concentrating deeply on the TV screen, jumped as Logan's hand came down on his shoulder.  Matt Sung turned his eyes away from the screen for a split second, meeting Logan's steady gaze.  Logan had prerecorded the broadcast earlier, and deliberately set it up to coincide with meeting Matt at the pub.

"Good."  The detective cast one more glance up at the TV screen as Logan pulled in around him to the table.  "What did you want to see me about?"

Logan pulled an envelope from the backpack he carried on his lap and handed it to his friend.

"What's this?"  Matt asked.

"The downlow on who's stealing those medical supplies," Logan replied quietly.

Logan pulled in closer to the table, dropping the backpack on the ground beside him for the moment.  He gestured to the bartender, who brought them both beers.  Matt slit the envelope open and peered inside to see two unmarked computer disks.

_"This has been a streaming freedom video bulletin of the Eyes Only Informant Net.  Out."  _

The TV screen flashed for a second before returning to the baseball game.

They waited for the bartender to go back behind the counter after handing them their beers before speaking again.

"Where did you get these?"

"Never mind.  There's enough info there to blow Matthew Cornford right out of the water."

"Cornford?"  The detective looked stunned.  "That's big game."

"Matt, what I've given you is details of every missing shipment in the last three months, together with financial records leading right to the top."

"Cornford's not going to be easy to take down.  You better be sure of your sources.  There won't be any second chances on this one."

"I'm sure."

"Okay.  Thanks."  The handsome detective's face relaxed into a smile.  "We've been after him for a while.  Knew he was dirty, but the problem is proving it."

"Glad to help."

Matt leaned forward, pulling an envelope from his own pocket.  "Something for you."

"What's this?" Logan asked.

"You'll see."  Matt stood, preparing to leave.  "I have to go –"

"Yeah, okay, Matt.  See you later."

Logan fingered the envelope curiously for a moment before tucking it into the backpack and closing the zipper.  He slung the pack over his shoulder and looked up at the TV screen, watching the baseball game and taking occasional sips from his beer. Ben's baseball season was over, the team having lost the final by a narrow margin.  The boys had played well – just not well enough to win.  Logan, as coach, was pleased with his fledgling team.  They had played gamely, but just weren't quite good enough in the end result.  Basketball, the other sporting love in his life, would be starting up again soon - the change in the seasons marked by the change in the sport.  He idly watched the game while he finished his beer, while his mind ticked over on what might or might  not be in the envelope he had just been handed.

Logan's curiosity eventually overcame him, and he reached for the backpack.  He pulled out the envelope and fingered it thoughtfully for a moment before slitting the top with his finger.  He tipped out the contents into his other hand, finding tickets to a basketball game later that same week.  He put the tickets back in the envelope and the envelope into the backpack, preparing to leave. He wondered where Matt had gotten hold of the tickets.  He figured he should get home and see what Ben and Jonas were up to.  Jonas was staying another night.  He would be going home the following afternoon, when they were all expected for dinner at Bennett's house.

*~*~*~

"Sublime PI and Laundromat," Max answered automatically, juggling baby and phone.  She wedged the receiver between her ear and her shoulder and grabbed a pen from the desk.  "Our hours of business are 8:00 am to 9:00 pm."  She listened for a moment.  "No, Alec isn't here right now.  Can I take a message?"  She had a page of notes for Alec – she suspected something to do with one of his scams.  She wasn't about to speculate, however – just kick his ass when it all went wrong.

He and Gem were both on the same surveillance job – their phones turned off, communicating strictly by comms for the time being.  They were doing surveillance on a matter of industrial espionage for one of their more lucrative clients, and couldn't afford to mess up.  Gem had called in some favors from former inmates of Terminal City to keep the teams swapping over.  The relief team would be there at about 6:00 pm, and when Gem returned to the laundromat, Max would be free to go home. Gem had also arranged for Elfie to spend the day with Normal – or even the next few days, if necessary.  Normal enjoyed playing the role of doting "godfather" to the pre-teenager, and she was helping him with some work at the videoshop he had taken on after Jam Pony was sold.  In Normal's eyes, Elfie could do no wrong.

Max was content to answer the phone while keeping an eye on the laundromat operations.  It wasn't intellectually demanding, but it was a change from her normal routine, and she was glad Gem had chosen to accept her offer to help out.  She had sporadically worked in the PI agency since Normal sold Jam Pony – not for cash, but as a physical and mental outlet.  She enjoyed the intellectual challenges of Eyes Only work as well, but coordinating that with family life was too hard for the moment.  Answering the phone and keeping a weather eye on the laundromat customers at Sublime made a pleasant, and useful, change.  Max leaned back in the chair, holding Eva comfortably in one arm, and waiting for the phone to ring.


	27. Taking the Plunge

**Disclaimer:**  I wish they were mine, but the suits at Fox won't hand 'em over, dammit.  I don't own VS3 either.

**A/N**:  Thanks to alaidh and catherder for the beta.  Alaidh, the reference to a certain part of Logan's anatomy is for you :=).

Sorry this is so late:  RL once again, I'm afraid.  Unfortunately, this is going to be par for the course over the next few months, so I'll probably have to substantially slow my rate of posting.  Do I hear a collective "ohhhhhhhhhh"?  I'll do my damnedest, but even I need to sleep :=).

**Chapter 27:  Taking the Plunge**

"Logan, where are you?"  Max's impatience could be felt vibrating through the phone.

"Max, we're in the car," Logan responded, impatiently waving the two boys out of the door of the apartment.

"Would you hurry up?  Alec may well decide to take off before you get here, and I don't want to leave Elfie here on her own."

"We're on our way."

Max had been at Sublime nearly all day for the second day running, with Elfie for company.  Gem had called an hour earlier.  She had sent Alec back, only to have to stay in position when another team member failed to appear.  When she contacted Alec, he was already back at the laundromat but he had readily agreed to get on the phone and try to find a replacement.  What had started as a small, but important, surveillance job was fast becoming a hassle.  Max had almost offered her own services, but realized in time that the response would be a flat "No" from Gem and a big case of pissiness from Logan if he ever found out.  She couldn't really blame him for that.  Still, she had enjoyed the last two days.  She missed the physical and mental outlets of employment.  Much as she loved her family and home, she wasn't geared to the sedentary life.

Thirty minutes later, having collected Max and Elfie, Logan brought the Aztek to a stop in the driveway of the Cale family mansion.  Taking Elfie had been a spur of the moment decision.  She could have stayed with Alec, although the wisdom of this was somewhat doubtful.  He was likely to take off and leave her there on her own, and who knows how long Gem was going to be – maybe all night.  No, Max made the only choice possible in taking the girl with her, and Alec had let Gem know Max's movements with her daughter.  Elfie had to sit in the rear load-space of the car due to lack of space, which wasn't very safe for her, so Logan had been especially cautious on the drive.  As soon as the engine stopped, the two boys and Elfie were out and running through the house.  

The maid, Lynella, who was in the hallway of the mansion, was almost flattened by the three children as they ran past, Jonas dropping his bag at the foot of the stairs on the way through.  They made a beeline for the back of the house, heading in the general direction of the pool.

Lynella came out on the porch just as Max, carrying the baby, started up the front steps.  They exchanged a few brief words while Logan was assembling the wheelchair.  When Max returned to the car, he was preparing to transfer.  She gave a small grin at the sight of his rippling shoulder muscles, clearly defined under a black t-shirt as he efficiently made the transfer.  After positioning his feet on the footrest, he looked up enquiringly, then blushed, realizing that she had been watching him...again.

"They're down by the pool.  Looks like we're having a barbecue."  

"Okayyyy…"

Logan grabbed the backpack from the floor of the back seat and followed her along the concrete path around the side of the house.  

Family barbecues had been a kind of family institution, even with Uncle Jonas.  They had been a regular occurrence throughout the summer for most of Logan's early years.  Manning the grill was the one kind of cooking Jonas didn't frown upon among the Cale men.  

The land sloped gently down to the yard, and while there were a couple of wide steps at the front, there were a dozen at the back of the mansion.  Bennett had had a ramp built up to the front porch, as Logan had become a frequent visitor, and it was also convenient for moving large or heavy items into or out of the house.  The back entrance, however, remained inaccessible.

Logan coasted gently down the sloped path leading to the pool and the shady pergola housing the barbecue and outdoor furniture, hearing the noise of the two boys, who were apparently already in the pool.

Marianne was helping Elfie alter one of her own swimsuits by tying a ribbon around the straps to make it fit.  They had met Elfie on several occasions, so she wasn't a complete stranger.  She was a good foil for the two exuberant boys – a year or so older and wiser; Ben's equal, if not superior, in strength; and she was street-smart as well.  For the moment, however, she stood quietly as Marianne tried to shorten the straps of the swimsuit so that she could join the boys in the water.

Bennett, his CEO uniform of suit and tie replaced by shorts and unbuttoned short-sleeved shirt, handed Logan a beer from a cooler beside the barbecue.  He held a bottle of olive oil in the other hand.  Max greeted Bennett and Marianne warmly, hugging them both in turn.

"Hope that's cold-pressed," she joked, eyeing the oil bottle.

"Nothing but the best for the Cale household," Bennett responded, with a grin showing her the generic supermarket label.  He shrugged.  "Hey, it's what I could get on the way home.  This stuff is like gold."

"Why didn't you ask?  I could have borrowed some from the Italian Embassy," she snapped, cheekily, then seeing Bennett's expression, added, "That was a joke."

"I know, Max," he replied mildly.

Seattle was turning on its best late summer weather.  The evening was still warm, and the sky clear, despite the usual haze.  The three older kids splashed noisily in the pool, tossing a ball around, the two boys trying, unsuccessfully, to keep Elfie from grabbing it.

"Hey, Elfie, need a hand?" Max called.

"I...got it...under...control!" the girl replied, successfully lunging for the ball, and poking her tongue out at Jonas, who had been trying to get to it first.

Bennett, his preparations complete, started throwing steaks on the barbecue while Logan watched.  Max and Marianne sat at the glass-topped table in the centre of the pergola and exchanged news while Marianne put together a salad.  She'd brought the ingredients down from the house earlier and just needed to assemble them.  Max relaxed in her chair, leaning into the cushion.  She had enjoyed the last two days immensely.  Eva's brief illness was running its course – the spots over her torso had broken out the previous day, and, though her face still looked flushed, she was much less grumpy.  She wasn't back to her normal self, but was well on the mend.  She hadn't really been a problem at work.  Sitting up on Max's lap with her mother's hands loosely holding her, Eva looked around curiously and chewed her fist.

For herself, Max kept casting envious looks at the three noisy kids in the pool, as she talked to Marianne.

"Max, go and have a swim.  You're obviously dying to.  I can take care of Eva.  In fact, I'd love to."

Max looked at her indecisively for a moment before making a move.  She got up and handed the baby to Marianne, and, after a quick word to Logan, made her way into the downstairs bathroom to change.  Logan had brought both of their swimsuits with him.  She figured that there was little chance of getting Logan into the pool with Elfie there, but she still decided to try.

"Logan, wanna join me?" she asked, a cajoling tone in her voice.

"No…thanks," he said, scratching the back of his head in a gesture that was always a dead give-away that he was feeling discomfort.

Max rolled her eyes.  "God, Logan, after all this time I'd'a thought you'd have been past this."

"Max!"

She stood in front of him sassily, hands on hips, fixing him with a steely gaze.  "Is this because of Elfie?"

Logan sighed.

"Well, that's just stupid.  We're all family here – yours and mine.  So get your ass in that pool, buster, before I throw you in."

"Sure, mom."  Logan ducked as she cuffed his ear.

"I'm not your mom."

Bennett was grinning, trying hard not to laugh at the exchange.  Max turned quickly, point made, took a couple of quick steps and executed a perfect dive into the pool.  Logan looked up at Bennett.  "Yeah, I know," he sighed.  "I'm so whipped."

"Man, you got some issues," Bennett responded, taking away the sting with a smile.  "But she's right.  We're family here.  No need to be embarrassed."

"Yeah, sure."

"No, but I might be pushing up daisies if you don't do what the lady says."

"Yeah, sure, she'd snap your neck, just like that," Logan smiled, snapping his fingers, then he snapped off the brakes of the wheelchair and went to change in the downstairs bathroom.  

*~*~*~

Logan sat on the edge of the pool, feet dangling in the water at the deep end, watching the contest before him.  He enjoyed swimming, even though it was harder to go fast without the use of his legs.  It had, however, taken all of Bling's persuasive skills, and even a few threats, to get him into the water the first time after the shooting.  He was still loath to swim in public, tending to use the pool in his apartment building only at quiet times – early in the morning or late in the evening.

Max swam across to him and grabbed his legs in a hug, anchoring herself in position.  The water was too deep for her to stand – not that that was a problem.  Her dark hair gleamed wetly, like the pelt of a black cat, and she smiled.

"Sorry 'bout being so hard on you and all," she said.

"No, you were right, as always.  I was being an ass."

She grinned.  "Well, it's a very nice ass," she said, reaching up to pat the accessible part of his behind.  "Are you just gonna sit there?"

"I don't know.  What do you think?"

"I think you're comin' in."  She reached up for his hand and tugged gently, pushing off from the wall with her feet.

Logan allowed himself to be pulled in, smiling all the while.


	28. Surprise Surprise

**Disclaimer**:  The usual applies:  I want them but the suits won't let me have them.  VS3 isn't mine either.

**A/N**:  Many thanks to alaidh and catherder for their insight and for beating the Aussie out.

I live for reviews, so please either click the link at the bottom, sign in drop me a review, or, alternatively, send me an email at karenick@idx.com.au.

Chapter 28:  Surprise Surprise

Logan swam the length of the pool, taking leisurely strokes, Max swimming beside him.  The three kids kept out of the way.  After several laps, Max stopped and got out of the water.  She sat on the edge of the pool watching the game.  Logan held onto the wall beside her for a moment.  He shook his head, spraying her with water, then turned away with a smile, and started to swim again.  Since returning from the cabin, Logan had let his exercise routine slip somewhat, so he was actually quite glad he'd let Max talk him into the water.  Max watched him traverse the length of the pool, slicing through the water efficiently, then she was in again, swimming beside him.  

Finally, they both joined the kids in a lively game of boys vs girls in "water volleyball", using a plastic ball and an imaginary central net marked by a join in the tiled inner surface of the pool.  Naturally enough, the two transgenic females were at somewhat of an advantage over their opponents and didn't hesitate to break the superhero code over their heads.  It wasn't easy for Logan to maintain his position or capture the ball in the water, as he had to either use his arms in order not to drown or hang from the side of the pool, but he still participated to the best of his ability, swimming back and forth in the role of backstop to the two boys.  Half-transgenic Ben, with his two mere mortal partners, didn't stand much chance against the all-transgenic opposition, but the three of them took the loss in their stride.  

*~*~*~

An hour and a half later, dinner had come and gone.  Bennett was packing up the barbecue – giving it a cursory scrape before covering it over and unscrewing the propane tank.  Marianne and Max had taken the dirty dishes inside, and Jonas and Ben had vanished as well, leaving Logan with Eva and Elfie for company.  Logan again had Eva lying across his legs while he rubbed her back – she really enjoyed the gentle massage and lay there quietly for him.

Elfie, sitting to the side and slightly behind Logan, studied the old scars on his back thoughtfully.  Neither of them had yet changed into their clothes, although Logan had a towel loosely wrapped around him.  Logan had long ago discarded the rehab chair he used in the early days for a more streamlined model with a much lower backrest so his scars were clearly visible to Elfie.

"Guns are bad, aren't they?" Elfie asked suddenly.

Logan was caught by surprise at the girl's question, coming out of the blue as it did.  He turned slightly to face her.  "No, guns aren't bad.  Only people are bad.  Guns are things – they can't be good or bad.  It's what people do with them…"

Elfie digested that for a moment.  "Max doesn't like guns.  Is that because of you?"

"Why do you ask that?"

"Well, you were shot, weren't you?"

"Yes, but that's not the reason.  Max doesn't like guns because of something that happened when she was a child – younger than you."

Elfie waited expectantly.

"She saw her sister shot dead – in cold blood."

"Oh!"

"It was the night they all escaped.  Max hasn't liked guns since that night.  This," he touched a wheel thoughtfully, "probably didn't help, but Eva's murder was the main thing."

"Her sister was called Eva?"

"Yes, Eva and Ben are both named after Max's siblings.  Both of them are dead."

"Cool."  Elfie smiled.  "I like that."

"Twelve of them escaped that night…"

Logan sat quietly for a moment.  A breeze had sprung up, and he felt a sudden chill on his arms.

"Elfie, could you look after Eva for a few minutes?  I want to get dressed."

"Sure.  No problem."

~*~*~*

"So, Max has been working at Sublime?"  Bennett leaned forward over the pool table to line up his shot.

"Yeah.  Gem put in a call for help.  It's fine, but it worries me a bit."

Bennett was silent for a moment.  He took his shot, the white ball caroming off the red at an oblique angle and sending the red into the side pocket.  He stood back to study the table again, chalking the end of his cue.  "What do you mean?"

"I'm happy for her to be back out there feeling useful.  I know she was getting bored at home."  Logan smiled.  "Just as long as..."

Bennett raised an eyebrow, and took another shot, which missed.

"The PI stuff can be dangerous."  Logan shrugged and lined up his shot.  The balls connected with a satisfying click, the striped one dropping into the pocket.

"Logan, she won't put Eva in any danger.  You know that."

"Yeah, I know, but trouble sometimes has this way of finding her."

"She's answering the phone, not tracking down leads."

"I know.  She's a big girl.  But that doesn't stop me from worrying."

"Right.  And she could snap your neck as soon as look at you."  Bennett smiled as he turned Logan's own joke from earlier back on him.

"Right."

"I'd be more worried about her riding a bicycle with the baby on the back to work."

"Well, she's not doing that all the time.  I drove her today.  But you're right.  It's not the safest way to travel."

"So...do something about it.  You got the cash, go spend it."

Logan, lining up his shot, looked across the table at his cousin, and sunk the last ball.  After a brief, satisfied grin, he looked up at Bennett and said, "I will.  And that's ten bucks you owe me."

Bennett grinned and pulled a bill from his pocket as Logan rounded the table to put the cue away.  Bennett handed him the money.  "You been practising?"

"Nope.  Not really."  Logan looked over his glasses and grinned at Bennett as he pocketed the money.  "Well, maybe just a little."

"I knew it.  Come on.  Let's go see if Marianne made that coffee, like she promised."

*~*~*~

Max watched Marianne putter around the kitchen from the doorway.  She leaned against the timber doorframe comfortably, baby clutched on her hip, as the other woman made coffee and loaded the dishwasher.

"How does it feel to be a working girl again?" Marianne asked.

"Good.  Logan seems chill with the idea, as well," she smiled.

"Well, that's good to hear.  How long do you think you'll be there?"

"No clue.  As long as it takes Gem to get this job done.  Only, I'm hoping it doesn't end there."

"Well, you'll just have to make yourself indispensable," Marianne responded, adding the last plate to the dishwasher.

"Been trying."

"If it doesn't work out, you can always go look for something else."

"Like what?  You got any openings for a transgenic former bike messenger?"  They both laughed at the thought of Max working in Marianne's tiny law office, where the entire staff consisted of a secretary and a part-time bookkeeper–cum-general factotum.  

"I'll let you know if anything comes up."  Marianne surveyed the kitchen one last time before firmly shutting the dishwasher door and starting the cycle.  The kitchen was huge and modern – a relic of Jonas and Margo's days of excess, when there had been a large paid staff to run the household.  Bennett and Marianne lived on a more frugal and modest scale.  In fact, Marianne liked to cook, and did so most nights.  When Jonas was murdered, most of the staff had been sacked as Margot couldn't pay their wages.  There was now only the maid, Lynella, a part-time cleaner and the gardener left – modest enough domestic staff for a house of such generous dimensions.

Marianne rummaged in a cupboard and pulled out a wooden serving tray on which she set coffee cups, sugar and cream.  She gestured for Max to take the coffee pot itself.  Max followed Marianne down the hallway toward the living room, holding the coffee carefully out of Eva's reach.

Max's phone started to ring as she walked.  Logan looked out of the poolroom curiously, hearing the phone.  Max cocked her hip at him and said, "Can you get that for me?  Got my hands full."  

Logan reached into her pocket and pulled out the phone.  He checked the number before answering the call.  "Hey, Alec.  What's up?"

Max rolled her eyes and mouthed, "What's _he_ want?"

Logan held up a hand in a 'wait-a-minute' gesture.  "Okay, sure.  She can spend the night with us."  He listened a moment.  "I'll let her know."  He terminated the call.  

"So, what'd he want?" Max asked again.

"Gem won't be back tonight.  I said we'd take Elfie home with us and we'll take her to the laundromat tomorrow morning.  He's going to relieve Gem in the morning and let her get a few hours' sleep, if you can hold the fort and Sublime again."

"Sounds like a good plan to me," she smiled.

"Yeah, I'll drop you there in the morning – got something I want to do first thing."

"Like what?"

"It's a surprise."

"So tell me…"

"Then it wouldn't be a surprise."  Logan dropped the phone back into Max's pocket, gave her an enigmatic smile, turned and pushed himself off toward the living room, leaving her standing in the hallway wearing a dopey grin at his parting shot.

_"…Thursday night there will be an abundance of mirth and maybe a little surprise."_

_"What?"  she asked, smiling._

_"Then it wouldn't be a surprise."  He turned away, heading out of the kitchen._

*~*~*~

Max stumbled after Logan, her hand on his shoulder.  He had blindfolded her with a dark-colored scarf before leaving the apartment.  A grinning Ben carried the baby.  Logan guided her out to the street and stopped.  Max could hear the satisfaction in his voice as he said, "You can take the blindfold off now."

She pulled off the scarf and blinked a couple of times to clear her eyes.  They were standing in front of a shiny, metallic silver car – a Series 3 BMW.  There was even a baby seat already installed in the back.

"What?"  she asked, puzzled.

"It's yours."

"Mine?  A car?"

"Well…I did think about getting you an X5, but then I realized we already have one of those in the house and two would be total overkill."

Max, grinning, accepted the keys Logan held up in front of her, dangling them in her face.  She took one step toward the car, then turned back, grabbing him in a tight hug and kissing his cheek.  "Nice surprise, Logan."

"Well, if that's the reaction I get, I'm sorry I didn't do this sooner."  She could hear the smile in his voice.  "Aren't you gonna try it out?"

Suddenly, she was all business.  "Get in, everyone."  She took Eva from Ben and sat her in the baby seat, first adjusting the straps to fit.

An hour later, they were well to the south of Seattle, travelling fast along the highway.  Max put the car through its paces, flying through the gear changes.  Eventually, they passed a field where the only occupants were a family of fibreglass cattle:  a bull, cow and calf.  They were old, and somewhat beat-up, but basically intact, although the bull had lost one of his horns.  How the artificial animals had escaped being vandalized was a mystery, but they had.  Max pulled the car over to the side of the road and turned off the engine.  She leaned across the center console to Logan, who was watching her curiously, and pulled him closer.  Then she kissed him deeply, to the sound of a muted, "Gees, I wish you two wouldn't do that in public," from Ben.  Max waved an admonishing finger at Ben as Logan deepened the connection, holding her head and the back of her neck in his hands.

They backed off slightly, staring into each other's eyes.

"I should surprise you more often," Logan said softly.  

Max just smiled.  "Let's go home."


	29. Sticks & Balls

**Disclaimer**:  Not mine, never will be.

**A/N**:  Thanks, as ever, to alaidh and catherder for the beta.

Chapter 29:  Sticks & Balls 

"Hey!" Max called through the open window of the car.  "Want a ride?"

Original Cindy leaned down to the window to see who had called out to her.  "Hey, sugah.  Look at you flossin'."

"Ya coming?"

Original Cindy opened the door and got in, snuggling into the comfortable seat.  "A girl sure could get used to this," she said, closing her eyes and pretending to sleep as Max pulled out from the curb.  Eva babbled and kicked, announcing her presence.  "And hello to you, little sugah."  OC snapped one eye open, closed it again, then reconsidered and sat straighter, no longer pretending.  "I see that man o' yours finally got you some wheels befittin' your station in life."

"Yeah, and you knew about it all along, 'coz he came to you for advice, didn't he."

"Advice?  Nah.  I just told him not to get you a Sherman tank like that heap he drives.  A lady likes a ride with style.  Now look at you.  Gonna have to go to some fancy finishin' school just to be seen with you."

"Yeah, right.  Gonna be home alone tonight.  Wanna chill out with me?"

"What, you lettin' the boys out on their own?"

"Basketball.  Not my thing, you know that."

"Yeah, I know."  Original Cindy considered a moment.  "Might just do that, boo.  Where you headed at this hour anyway?"

"Work," Max smiled.

"Alec and Gem keeping you busy?  Guess it beats climbing the walls."

"That's for sure."  

Max slowed to a stop outside the salon where Cindy was employed.  OC got out and shut the door.  She leaned in the window again to say, "Later…"

"Yeah, late…"

*~*~*~

Logan plonked his soda down on the molded plastic seat beside him and wrote himself a mental note to thank Matt Sung again.  The tickets the detective had given him for this game couldn't have been better – courtside seats on the aisle.  They were in the area designated for wheelchair users.  There were several other wheelchair users of various sizes and shape, with their families, around them.  Logan appreciated the fact that they were almost exactly mid-court and had a clear view of both ends.  Ben's eyes shone with excitement.  He had been to several basketball games with his father, but the excitement never left him.

Logan, waiting for the game to begin, was startled when a firm hand came down on his shoulder.  He looked around into the wise, dark eyes of his former PT, Bling.

"Hey, Logan."

"Bling!"  Logan gave a smile of delight.  He hadn't seen his former therapist for a considerable time – not since Bling had knocked him into shape for the second time following the collision with the bridge, which had written off both Bessie and the exoskeleton, and had nearly written off Logan as well.  He grasped the physical therapist's hand in a firm shake.  "Ben, do you remember Bling?"  Logan had looked back at the boy once and caught his expression.

"Yeah, Dad, I do."

Bling reached across and high-fived the boy.  "How you doing, Ben?  I wouldn't have recognized you."

Ben rolled his eyes in a way so reminiscent of Max that both men laughed.  "Yeah, whatever."

"How's Max?"

"Great."  Logan couldn't help smiling.  "What're you doing here?"

"Work."

"Really?"  Logan's tone was only mildly disbelieving.  "Who'd'a' thought."

"Really.  Kid from the rehab centre.  I should introduce you as the archetypal bad patient – a classic example in how not to do things."  There was a flash of white teeth, a fleeting grin, taking the sting out of the words.

"Aww, go ahead, say what you like.  It's open season."

"Yeah, right – like you'd let me."

"Bling?"  The hesitant voice came from behind them.

"Sorry, Steve, I really should introduce you."  Bling turned to his charge, a slim, fair-haired man in his early twenties, still with a hospital pallor.  Logan figured that probably wouldn't last long if the therapist had his way.  "Steve, this is my friend and one of my old clients, Logan Cale.  Logan, this is Stephen Hallsmith."

While Bling spoke, Logan had unlocked his brakes and pivoted on one wheel to face the young man.  "Hey, Stephen."  He held out a hand in greeting.

"Hey."  Stephen took the proffered hand in his own.

Logan knew then, if he hadn't already, how recent Stephen's injury was.  His hand was smooth, uncallused, a complete contrast to Logan's chair-hardened one.  Logan looked fit and healthy in comparison to the much younger man before him.  He had been spending a lot of time in the outdoors recently – both at the cabin and the park – and had acquired a suntan in the process.  He had also resumed his regular workouts following the visit to Bennett's house earlier in the week, and had even shaved that morning, and so presented a smooth-skinned face to the world.  Bling looked as impressive as ever, with his body-builder physique and no-nonsense attitude.  He was a calm, sensible presence, although Logan had not always appreciated that.  All the same, Logan was genuinely glad to see his old friend.

Logan was about to speak again when another voice hailed him from farther afield.

"Yo!  Cale!"

Logan looked up to see one of his basketball teammates rolling toward him at a fast clip.  The newcomer executed a smooth pirouette to pull around Bling and his charge and come to a stop in front of Logan, grinning from ear to ear.

"Well, ain't it a small world.  How ya doin', man?  How's Max?  And how're you doing, Ben?"

"I'm good."  Ben smiled at the man's onslaught of words.  Scott wasn't known to keep quiet for more than about 30 seconds at the best of times, but when he was excited, verbal diarrhea ensued.

Logan, amused by the torrent of words, was forestalled from speaking by Bling.  "Hey, Scott, long time, no see."

"Bling.  Fancy seeing you here."  He high-fived the physical therapist and went on talking, this time to Logan.  "We gonna see you at training on Wednesday, Logan?  We aim on takin' the championship this year."

"Gee, I don't know about that, Scott.  I'm getting a bit old and slow to keep up with you young guys."

Bling smiled.  He was the one who had introduced Logan to the joys of wheelchair basketball.  Stephen followed the conversation with interest.  Ben's ears had pricked at the words "training on Wednesday".  He was a keen sports fan, as well as being a keen sportsman. He attended a large percentage of his dad's games, and even the occasional training session.

"Crap."  Scott wasn't hearing any of that.  "If you can keep up with that beautiful wife of yours," Scott wiggled his eyebrows suggestively, "then you can keep up with us.  Speaking of which, where is the lovely Max?"

"Home."

"Damn.  Well, any time you wanna trade her in, I'm available."

"Yeah, and Claire would have my ass in the fire faster'n' I could blink if I did that."

"What would you care?  Your ass couldn't feel the flames anyway."

Logan grinned ruefully, while Bling and Ben were openly laughing at the exchange.  Stephen, sitting beside Logan, listened to the exchange and took note of how these two experienced wheelers were acting toward each other – laughing at their predicament.

"And yours could?"

"Well…maybe not," Scott conceded.  "But I'd be there selling the tickets."

"Like Max'd really let that happen," Bling interjected.

"She'd swoop in on her faithful steed and have you back in that rich-kids' playhouse making sweet monkey love faster than I could blink.  Ain't never seen anyone so stuck on anyone else after so long in my entire life.  When are you guys gonna quit the honeymoon and join the rest of us plebes.  Though mind you," Scott scratched his chin thoughtfully, "if I had Max…"

They were interrupted by an impatient movement from Stephen.

"Oh, hey, sorry, I've been rude.  Scott Mitchell."  He held out his hand.

"Steve Hallsmith."  

"You're here with the big guy?"

Steve nodded.  "Well, you couldn't be in better hands.  Right, Logan?"

"Right."

Scott turned a semi-circle to watch as the two teams ran out onto the court and prepared to do battle.

"So what'd you do with Claire tonight?

"She's in Portland.  Went to stay with her mom for a few days."

"How'd you piss her off this time?"

Scott donned an exaggeratedly hurt expression as if to say, "Who, me?" turning his head so Logan could see it.  "I didn't.  Her mom's been sick and she went to play nursemaid."

Logan nodded thoughtfully, watching the teams run around the court, practicing free throws.  "Come back to my place later?"

"Sure."

"Bling?  You and Steve could come too."

Bling was slightly taken aback at the invitation.  Logan wasn't normally quite so forthcoming in asking people to invade his privacy.  He looked at Steve and responded with a cautious, "We'll see."

~*~*~*

Max stretched out on the sofa while Original Cindy engaged in some pedicure.  Original Cindy had already dealt with Max's fingernails.  She leaned her back against the arm, waving her fingers before her face and blowing on the nails to hurry up the drying process.  The containers from the Chinese takeout they'd eaten for dinner earlier were still on the kitchen counter.  Cindy had just turned on the coffee machine, and it gurgled and belched.  Max was keeping half an eye on Eva, who had started crawling.  She was up on her hands and knees, rocking back and forth.

"Gonna have your hands full soon.  Nothin' gonna stop that little girl."

Max just smiled.

"What're you grinning at?   You're the one gonna be doing the chasing.  Remember Elfie and the stuff she used to get up to?  Nothing was safe.  Darn kid was part monkey."

"What – think I can't cope?  Didn't kill us last time."

"It may not have crossed your mind, but Ben isn't Eva."

"I know."

"Logan's pretty toys aren't going to be safe."

"We do know how to childproof, OC."

"I know that.  Just trying to point out that you need to do it soon."

Cindy watched Eva set off across the floor, almost falling on her nose when she reached the edge of the rug and moved onto the smooth floorboards.  She had her eyes fixed on the TV remote control, which was on the floor where Ben had left it.  Eva was fast, but OC was faster – for now.  She stopped what she was doing and made a dive to get there first.  She swapped the remote control for a colourful plastic toy, which seemed to satisfy Eva and was definitely safer.

"See what I mean?"

"Yeah, I get your point, I guess.  What was your point?" Max asked innocently.  "Oh, that's right. Gotta childproof."

"Okay, I'm done here, I think."  Cindy sat back and admired her handiwork, then started repacking her kit.

Max smiled.

"Can't have ya wandering the streets looking like one of the local street hoes, with your nails all busted up."  

"Well, this is more fun than doing guy stuff with Logan, anyway."  Max rolled her eyes and laughed.  "Downtime with sistah-gurl is always a good thing."


	30. Hangin' with the Guys

**Disclaimer:**  The usual applies:  Cameron & Eglee and the suits at Fox own Dark Angel, VS3 owns any VS3 stuff, but what I do with them is strictly mine…

**A/N**:  Thanks to catherder and alaidh, as usual, for the beta.

Chapter 30:  Hangin' with the guys

"Logan!  Hey!  Wait up!"  Logan looked around, hearing his name called for the third time that evening.  He scanned the crowd around him, eventually meeting the dark eyes of his former school basketball teammate, Henry.  Standing beside Henry were Carl and Aaron, both grinning from ear to ear.

Logan swung around to face them, forcing Ben into a quick sideways hop to get out of the way.  "I thought you guys would've gone back home by now."

"Umm, Logan," Carl rubbed his head, rumpling his short, curly hair.  "I live here."

"And I'm taking some time off," added Henry.  "I'm thinking of moving back to Seattle.  Mom isn't getting any younger and, well, she won't move.  It's just a matter of getting all the ducks in a row, persuading the family…you know."

"I know."

Aaron was silent for a moment.  "I'm on vacation," he shrugged, "kind of." 

"Yeah, right Aaron.  Permanent holidays," joked Carl.  

Aaron shrugged.  "I'm between jobs," he admitted.

Ben stood by, his hand on his dad's shoulder.  They had been on their way to the exit when Henry called out to them.  Bling, Steve, and Scott were already out of the stadium.  They'd made a quick beeline for the exit as soon as the game ended, but Logan and Ben had been slower and were now caught in the crush.

"Hey, move it, will ya," someone called from farther back in the line.  Logan gave the speaker a dirty look and closed up the gap between him and the people next in line, wheeling backwards in an arc so he again faced the front of the line.

"Look, there's a bunch of people coming back to my place now.  Why don't you guys join us?"

The three men looked at each other.  "Not tonight," answered Aaron.  "But if you want to give us your number, we'll call later in the week."

They were now at the gate.  Logan pushed out the gate, followed by Ben and the three men.  He moved a little way from the gates and stopped.  He felt around in the pocket of his backpack, finding a red ballpoint pen and a scrap of paper – a shop receipt.  He quickly scribbled out his phone number and address and handed it to Carl, who was the closest of the three.

"Boy, your writing sure hasn't improved any," Carl commented, squinting at the scrawl.

"Gee, thanks," Logan responded sarcastically.  "You can read it?"

"Yeah, I can read it.  See you later."

The three of them turned in the opposite direction.

"Who were they?" asked Ben.

"Some guys I knew in school."

"Just as well they said no.  Mom is gonna freak out anyway."

"Ya think so?"  Logan asked.  He looked at Ben, green eyes meeting green eyes and smiling slightly.  They were approximately the same height with Logan seated, although the boy was growing fast.  He was of middle height for his age, but so had Logan been at the same stage.  

"Yep, Dad.  You're gonna be so dead."

"I doubt it," Logan responded, gritting his teeth as he forced his way across the rough blacktop of the parking lot, heading in the direction of the Aztek.

"Whatever."  The single word utterance was so Max-like that again Logan smiled.  "But don't say I didn't warn ya."

*~*~*~

Max came back into the living room after changing Eva's diaper, and sat down in the corner of the couch.  Original Cindy blinked, averted her eyes, and shook her head as Max bared her breast and started feeding the baby.  Max caught the movement and looked at her friend, startled.  "What?"

"_That_ is just something I never get used to."

"What?"

"Flashing me like that.  It just ain't fair."

Max giggled.  "Sorry, boo.  Little lady is hungry."

"Just warn me next time."

"'Kay."  Max smiled down at Eva then looked across at Cindy.  "You never wanted one of these for yourself?"

"Nope, no thank you!  Original Cindy has enough hassles in her life without an extra mouth to feed.  She happy just to be Aunty OC."  Cindy got out of the armchair in which she was sitting and went over to sit next to Max.  She squeezed one of Eva's plump thighs thoughtfully, feeling the baby-soft skin.

Max smiled.  "It's all good."

"All the time, boo.  Besides, anytime I need remindin', you just come on out and ask me to babysit and I remember lickety-split why I don't have none.  Don't get me wrong.  I love yo' kids like they're mine.  You my sistah, after all.  But at least I get to give 'em back after.  And it ain't just a lesbian thing.  Plenty of lesbians got kids."  OC raised an eyebrow.  "There's ways, ya know."  She smiled at Max.  "Just never wanted 'em.  Besides, why go through all that pain when all ya have to do is borrow them now and then."

Max caught OC's look and they both laughed.  "Never thought I'd be doin' it either.  Not once, let alone twice.  Not after Sandeman…and everything that happened…Logan…"

"Well, if you had to hook up with a male, ya could'a done worse.  If Manticore'd had its way, you'd have ended up with Alec."

"Oh, God," Max moaned.  "Don't remind me."

"Heeeeee.  Aww, Alec's not so bad provided you beat on his ass from time to time."

Max rolled her eyes.  

_"So how long were you and Alec stuck in the closet?" Logan asked, his expression amused._

_"About an hour. He was yapping the entire time."_

_"He's a yapper."  Logan chucked.  "Yeah, stuck in the closet with Alec--you're pretty much describing my worst nightmare."_

_Max smiled.   It was worth it, though. It got me here."_

"His yapping would have driven me nuts by now."

Original Cindy gave a deep chuckle.  "Yeah, he sure knows how to talk.  Guess that's one of the nice things about Logan, huh?  Guy knows when to keep his trap shut."

"There's a lotta nice things about Logan, hon, but I don't gotta go there with you.  You heard 'em all before."

"Only 'bout a thousand times."  Cindy giggled.

"'Course, there's also a lotta annoying things, as well.  But…it isn't a perfect world."

"Word, sistah.  It's straight off the rack and I ain't no perfect size three no more."

Max smiled at Cindy.  "Were you ever a perfect size three?" she asked sweetly.

"I ain't tellin' you _that, sugah."_

Max cocked an ear, hearing the ping of the elevator and voices from outside.  "Sounds like they're home."  

"Sounds like the Mongol hordes are home," Cindy corrected, hearing Ben running through the apartment, then someone else's more measured tread.  Had it been just Logan and Ben, she knew she wouldn't have been able to hear anything.  Logan's wheels rang nearly silently, except when they needed oil, and Ben was normally quiet on his feet, except when he ran.  "I think he brought someone with him."

"Well, that's different."

"Max?!" Logan called.

"In here!" Max called back, pulling her top down to avoid "flashing" anyone else.  Eva had grabbed hold of a handful of the red fabric and Max had to gently untangle it from her fingers.  Max looked up as Scott bowled into the room first and did a neat double-take on seeing Max and Eva.

"Geez, and I thought you might leave Logan and shack up with me," he quipped.  "Damn."

"Ouch," she replied as Eva, hearing the unfamiliar voice, had pulled back, turning her head to see, without releasing Max's nipple.

"Oops, sorry."

"That's okay," Max responded, popping her off.  If Eva was that distracted, she wasn't going to argue.

Logan, Bling, and Steve came in, followed by Ben, who had detoured via his parents' bedroom to drop off the backpack.

"Wow, Bling, didn't know you'd started a rock band," Max grinned.

"Hey, Max.  A rock band?"  The big therapist looked puzzled.

"Yeah," responded Max.  "Never mind.  Doesn't matter."

Scott gave a huge guffaw of laughter.  "You gonna roadie for us, Max?"

"Yeah, sure, why not."  She smiled.  "How ya doing, Bling?  You remember Original Cindy?"

Logan smiled, knowing all was well.  He turned and went into the kitchen to start making coffee.

*~*~*~

The evening had been a pleasant interlude.  Bling and Steve hadn't stayed long – always one to keep the needs of his patient in mind, Bling had whisked Steve away as soon as he started to show signs of flagging.  Steve was only a few weeks into his rehab program and still tired quickly.  It was a slow process, but Bling was also trying to educate him into the fact that his life wouldn't be all doom and gloom.  In a way, meeting up with the two experienced wheelers had been just what the doctor ordered.

It had also been helpful to show Steve that it was possible to achieve a long-term relationship after a life-changing injury.  Steve's girlfriend had dumped him within days of the worksite accident that had resulted in his paralysis, a double blow.  Showing him that Logan and Scott had been able to both establish and maintain long-term relationships – that not every woman was going to turn away  was yet another step in that education.  Scott had met his partner, Claire, during rehab when she was visiting her brother – another patient at the center.  They'd started dating as soon as he was allowed out alone, and had been together ever since.  And then there were Max and Logan.  Bling was able to reflect on how long it had taken them to figure things out – all that denial.  Max had never seen the wheels – they had never mattered to her – but it had taken Logan a long time to see past them.  They were both strong-willed and had stubbornly refused to acknowledge the truth.

Bling was also convinced that Max was the only reason Logan was still alive – that if it weren't for her, he would have put a bullet in his brain long before.  He was fine now, but Logan's mental state in the period immediately after he was injured, his depression, were such that suicide had been a very real possibility.  He still had his demons – they were part of his psychological make-up and he would never lose them all.  In a way, the demons were what gave him his edge.  They had caused him to stray from the path set out by his family and had made him into Eyes Only.

Logan had always been a different person with Max around.  She brought him out of his self-pity with her wise-ass remarks and no-nonsense attitude.  Max cared deeply for those closest to her – she was like the mother octopus, who would sacrifice her own life so her eggs would reach maturity.  She only cared for the big picture in an abstract way – where it affected her and hers.  She had had to live her life that way in order to survive – to stay one jump ahead of capture or death.  Seeing them together now, so happy and comfortable with one another, was a total contrast to their year of denial and the familiar mantra of "We're not like that", when it was obvious to everyone around them that they were.

Bling ruminated on this and more as he drove Original Cindy back to the apartment block on Waverly, then took Steve back to the rehab center and settled him in for the night.

*~*~*~

The apartment was quiet now that everyone had left.  The kids were asleep.  Logan had turned out most of the lights, except for one small lamp in the corner of the living room.  He sat in his favorite position at the window, staring into the night.  The window was open slightly and a faint breeze stirred his hair.  He looked up at Max as she walked into the living room.  When their eyes met, they both smiled.  He held his hands out in a gesture to invite her closer.  She sat on his lap, one arm loosely wrapped around his neck.  They touched foreheads, leaning against one another in a moment of relaxed companionship.

"So…about this rock band…"  Logan said softly.

"What about it?"

"Where and when's the first gig?"

"Bedroom, in…oh…any time you like," Max responded with a impish grin."  At Logan's mystified expression, she added with a husky laugh.  "Well, you can rock my world any day."

* * *


	31. Midnight Wanderings

**Disclaimer**:  Neither Dark Angel, nor VS3 are mine.

**A/N:**  Many thanks to my faithful betas, alaidh and catherder, for beating the aussie out.  

**Chapter 31:  Midnight Wanderings**

Logan groaned and rubbed his eyes, wondering for a moment what had woken him.  Then the sound came again – the thin cry from the far side of the room.  Reaching a hand across, he found that Max's side of the bed was cold and empty, and for a moment he felt a sense of loss.  He thought he remembered a tickle of hair and the murmured words, "…on my sweetheart", but he couldn't be sure.  He hadn't really been awake at the time.

"Max," he said softly into the night, knowing all along that if she had been in the apartment, she would have heard Eva long since.  The only response was a creak as one of the bedroom drapes strained against its hook in the breeze, and another restless movement and cry from Eva.

Logan pushed himself upright, then shook his head to clear the fuzziness of sleep.  He looked at the clock briefly and sighed before lifting his legs over the side of the bed.  His t-shirt was a crumpled grayish-looking pile on the seat of the wheelchair, barely visible in the unlit room.  He pulled it on quickly, further rumpling his sleep-tousled hair.  The clumsy, half-asleep transfer almost resulted in him falling to the floor as he tilting the wheelchair alarmingly, only putting a hand out to save himself at the last minute, and steadying himself against the chest of drawers as Eva gave another loud sob.  "I'm coming, sweetheart.  Hang on."  He lifted his bare feet onto the footrest and rounded the bed.  The side of the crib dropped down easily and he lifted her out, cuddling her.  "Come on, sugar, what's the matter?"  She snuffled and scratched with sharp fingernails.  Logan became aware of the dampness along his arm.  He settled Eva on his lap for a moment and rolled back to turn on the light.  They both blinked at the sudden brightness in the room then Eva gave a sudden, equally blinding, smile.  He changed her diaper and clothes, and dropped the soiled ones in the bucket in the bathroom before making his way through to the living room.

Logan took up his favourite position in front of the big picture windows, staring out at the night-lights along The Esplanade.  He hummed softly as he rocked his daughter back to sleep.

*~*~*~

Max walked out onto the domed roof of the Space Needle and stood at the very edge looking out.  It was more than a year since she'd been there – the night she'd found out they were pregnant again.  She'd been unsure of her emotions then, not sure what to say to Logan, or how he would react.  Her hormones had been racing like mad, confusing her thoughts, so she had come here.  The Needle always gave her the clarity of thought she needed.  To look down on the ordinary people with their ordinary lives somehow put some of her problems into perspective.  She knew she'd never be that "ordinary girl" she'd craved to be for so long.  That was as far out of her reach as the moon.  Her very existence was extraordinary in itself.  The Needle had seen all of her hopes and fears, confusion, and annoyance.  Here was where she annually toasted the escape from Manticore in February '09 – only missing this year because of her advanced pregnancy and all the complications that had gone with it.  She had been confined to barracks, and much as she may have wanted to come, it wasn't worth incurring Logan's concern.  She hadn't been sure she could make the climb, anyway.

She cast thoughts into the wind for Zack and Jondy, Syl, Krit, Jace, Zane…Brin – wherever she was – all the others.  The ones she knew hadn't made it – Jack, Eva, Ben, Tinga.  Poor Ben, the confused boy with Alec's face, who had so hated the outside world that he tried to recreate Manticore.  Sandeman.  Lydecker.  The Year of the Virus – in her mind it was always capitalized, like the Year of the Cat or…whatever.

_"Here I  am, on the edge of the world," she thought, the wind blowing the hair from her face.  She stood solidly, feet apart, enjoying the buffeting.  The footsteps behind her made her roll her eyes.  She spoke without hesitation.  "What're you doing here?"_

Alec gave a wry grin and sat down next to her.  "Shouldn't I be asking you that?"

Max grinned and sat beside him.

"Saw your bike," he said, by way of explanation.

"So you thought you'd come and annoy me?"

"That wasn't my intention – well, not really."  He shrugged.  "Just wondered what you were doing here.  I mean, shouldn't you be home with Mr Eyes Only and the rug rats?"

Max gave him a sharp look and then ignored the comment.

Alec continued, "Just think, Max, if Manticore had had its way, it would have been you and me and the rug rats."

"That's sick, and you know it."

He grinned at having made her bite.  "So…why are you out here on the edge of oblivion?"

"Like it's any of your business?"  Max asked, suddenly annoyed at the intrusion.  "I just needed some air, if you must know."

"What, no air in the ivory tower?"

Max looked away, gazing out over Puget Sound, the water and sky both equally black, pinpointed with stars, and the lights of an occasional ship.

Alec sighed.  "Guess I'm intruding."

"As a matter of fact, you are."

Alec grinned for a moment, until Max, now on her feet, cuffed his ear, and not too gently at that.  "Hey, what was that for?!"

"For being a smart Alec," she responded curtly.  "I'm outta here."

"Later, Max…" he said, giving a half-salute.

She waved an impatient hand behind her.  "Yeah, later, Alec."

*~*~*~

Max walked into the apartment shut the door quietly behind her.  She jumped, hearing Logan's soft, "Hey," from the living room.  She walked through, stopping on the way to cover Ben, who had been fighting tigers in his sleep – the bedclothes were in complete disarray and  most of them were on the floor.

"Hey, yourself," she finally said with a smile, studying him carefully, hands on hips, head to one side.

"How was the Needle?"

She grinned for a second at his astute guess.  "Peaceful – until Alec showed up."  She rolled her eyes.  Logan changed his position slightly, easing the shoulder that held the weight of the now sleeping child.

Max studied the two of them fondly.  Eva, asleep, half-wrapped in the small blanket from the crib, was serene.  Her eyelashes cast long shadows on her cheeks, and she made slight sucking movements with her mouth – _Obviously dreaming of food, Max thought.  She curled into her father's body, supported by his strong right arm._

"I guess he _would_ kinda ruin the solitude," Logan responded with a wry grin.  "All that yapping and breathing and…"

"Let's put it this way – he kinda wrecked the mood."

"I bet."

"Get dressed in a hurry, did we?" Max suddenly asked, plucking at the reversed seam of Logan's t-shirt.

He shrugged.  "The ladies in this house have no patience at all."

"And you have?"

"Well…maybe not," he admitted.

He looked down at Eva's peaceful face and brushed her soft hair with his hand, for a moment taken back to another night more than a year ago.

_"Hey, you, what're you doing up?"  Max asked, strolling in after parking the bike._

_"Couldn't sleep."_

_She unzipped her jacket and took it off, leaving it slung over the back of the chair beside her, then stood at the window looking out, one hand on her abdomen and the other holding back the drape.  Logan studied her, noting how tired she seemed, unwell,l even.  Max gave Logan a watery smile, feeling queasy and unsure._

_"You okay?"_

_"I'm…I'm fine," she said, hesitantly.  She abruptly turned away from the window, walking past him toward the kitchen, but then stopped and turned back._

_"Logan?"_

_"Yes, Max?"  He rolled toward her, bridging the gap between them._

_"What would you say if I told you we were pregnant again?"_

_Logan looked at Max with a dumbstruck expression._

_"Logan?  Say something!"_

_He smiled then – a broad grin of sheer delight and wonder.  "How? When?"_

_"I rather suspect in the usual way," she responded sarcastically.  "That wasn't golf we were playing at the cabin."_

_"Come here!"_

_He'd pulled Max into his lap and given her a kiss that she'd felt all the way to her toenails, so she said later – a mind-blowing, breath-stealing kiss that left her flushed and aroused and wanting more.  When he eventually backed off, he had looked deep into her dark eyes and said, "Did I say enough?"_

_"Most eloquent, Mr Cale," she replied huskily, and relaxed into his body, leaning her chin on his shoulder.  "I'm beat…" she sighed._

_"Sleep?"_

_"Sounds like a plan to me," she smiled._

Logan looked up at Max, smiling at his thoughts.  "I don't know about you, Max, but I'm beat."

"Bed?"

"Sounds like a plan to me," he smiled.

**A/N2:  **I live for reviews, so please leave one.  If signing in is too inconvenient, feel free to email me:  karenick@idx.com.au.


	32. Hoops

**Disclaimer:**  Neither Dark Angel nor VS3 are mine, alas, but if anyone wants to hand them over, then I'd be more than happy…

**A/N:**  Thanks to alaidh for the beta.

Chapter 32:  Hoops 

Logan followed Ben and Jonas down the street in the direction of the community center.  He had spent the early part of the afternoon on maintenance on his sports wheelchair and was now in hot pursuit of the two boys, who had made off with his backpack, snatching it from the back of the wheelchair in a moment of cheekiness.  The sports chair wasn't ideally suited to everyday use and it was slowing him down.  The smaller casters tended to be easily obstructed and misdirected by pavement cracks, bumps and stones, but it was fast and maneuverable on the court.  The red paintwork had prompted someone on the basketball team to christen it the Ferrari, and that name had stuck.  Right now, though, the Ferrari was having to live up to its name in more ways than one as Logan tore after the two boys.  It was all part of the game and a regular occurrence on training nights.  

The community center was only two blocks from Fogle Towers.  Logan had considered it a waste of resources to use the car while the weather stayed fine.  Besides, Max was planning on swinging by on her way home from another day at Sublime.  

The two boys were already shooting hoops when Logan finally arrived.  They'd dropped his backpack on a bench and had taken possession of one end of the court for themselves.  They were the only ones there, having arrived early, which gave time for Logan to do some extra practice on his own with the two boys.

Logan grabbed the backpack and pulled out his water bottle, dropping one of the straps for his legs, which he wasn't wearing yet, on the ground in the process.  He took a quick sip of water and replaced the bottle in the bag before bending down to retrieve the strap.  

"Hurry up, Dad," called Ben, impatiently.  

"Just a minute, Ben," he responded automatically, and muttered about "slave driving eleven-year-olds" under his breath.

"Dad, I heard that!" came the response.

Logan grinned, and closed the Velcro fastener on the leg straps securely.  He considered his legs briefly.  Considering that he'd spent most of the last 15 years in a wheelchair, they weren't in bad shape.  Max was regular as clockwork in helping out with range of motion exercises, and she also ensured that he made regular use of the FES bike as a part of his workouts to stimulate and work the muscles.  This not only helped his cardio-vascular fitness and circulation, but also helped to retain and even build muscle tone.  His legs looked normal, to all intents and purposes.  Logan rubbed his hands on his thighs, briefly, feeling the rough fabric of his sweats moving against his fingers.  The friction pulled back the open ends of his bike gloves, the warmth of the limbs underneath.  For a moment, he felt a sadness.  He would never give up on seeking a cure, but it wasn't the be all and end all any more.  Logan quickly shook off his melancholy mood, and after doing a couple of stretches, he rolled out to join the two boys before the Wednesday evening training session.

Friday evening 

Max winced as Logan collided heavily with the steel post.  The collision knocked his glasses askew and left a red welt down his cheek that would probably result in a bruise.  She was always amazed that Logan would do this to himself without money changing hands, but it was so much a part of his life that she no longer commented.  She sat on the back of a bench to watch, tended his injuries, which were frequent, massaged his stiff muscles and was bored to death when he talked to Ben of tactics and skills.

It was two games into the season, and Bling had brought Steve Hallsmith to watch the game.  Steve had already lost his hospital pallor.  Bling had had him outdoors at the rehab center working on his wheeling skills in the grounds.  Bling had also brought him to the mid-week training session, where he watched and listened with interest to the post-training gripe session.  Max could see the sense in this, but couldn't help wondering if Logan had been so amenable.  It was an education in life after catastrophic injury.

"Guess they should've moved the post a little to the left," commented Steve.

"Yeah, go figure," Max responded, settling Eva more comfortably on her knee.  A few moments later, she watched as Logan quickly "rimmed" a dropped ball and fired off a quick throw at the hoop.  The ball ran around the ring before dropping through.

The final whistle blew, and after a round of backslapping, Logan came over to Max smiling, his face shining with sweat.

"You look like the cat that swallowed the canary," Max commented, amused.

Logan gave her a cock-eyed grin.  "Nah, just the guy who shot the winning basket."

"Looks like you busted a wheel.  Hop out.  I'll take a look."

"Now?"

Max gave him a stare.  "No, tomorrow."

Logan gave her a resigned look, then released the leg strap and transferred onto the wooden bench.  He took off his glasses and tried to straighten out the frame, bent out of shape by the collision with the post as a way of avoiding Bling's eyes.

"Logan…" Bling had concern in his voice.

"Bling, it's only for a few minutes."  Bling shook his head, and reached down to grab Eva as she crawled off in the direction of the court.

"Ben, look after your sister," Max said sharply, not looking up.

"Mom!"

"Ben?"  This time, she looked away from what she was doing and smiled sweetly at him.  

Ben sighed and walked around to take Eva from Bling.  He flopped down beside Logan on the bench and watched his mother critically.

"Okay, I think we're good to go here," Max said, standing up as Logan put his glasses back on.

Logan nodded.  "What's up?"

"Nothing much.  Fixed," she replied.

Steve suddenly spoke.  "You always play that rough?"

"No point in playing if you don't give it everything you got."

Max stood up, and dusted off her hands. 

"How's your head?" asked Scott, rolling up to join them.

"Throbbing."  Logan put his hand to the lump on his cheekbone, wincing at the contact.

"Remind me to order the rubber posts for next week," Scott grinned

Logan gave a wry grin in response then looked up in surprise as Ben suddenly handed him Eva.

"Wouldn't they bend?"

"Maybe," Scott acknowledged, "but at least you'd bounce off."

"Right."  

Ben sat down in the wheelchair and eased himself back in the seat, the chair rolling back slightly until the hill-brakes caught.  Logan had removed the other brakes, as he tended to jam his fingers in the mechanism – a common problem with court chairs.  Ben's feet barely touched the footrest.  He swung his feet back and forth, wriggling in the seat experimentally.  Logan looked at him curiously for a moment, then turned his attention back to Scott.  

"Rubber posts…hmm…think I have a contact that could help with that," he grinned.

Scott laughed.  "Right, man.  You got contacts everywhere."

"Hey, look at how my cousin's business came to the rescue."  

"Sure, we have no reason to complain about Cale Industries.  They've been great.  Bennett really came through.  Thanks for that."

"No problem."

"No, man, seriously, finding sponsors is hard.  The club was really struggling to get going this year and Bennett's donation has really helped.  I mean, look at this place:  new everything."

"What're family for…" 

"Annoying the hell out of you, most of the time," Max responded, as Ben took off across the blacktop in Logan's wheelchair.  "But Bennett's a good guy."

"Yeah, what she said," Scott added and, after a quick look to gauge Logan's reaction, he executed a standing 180 turn and chased after Ben.

Max shrugged and walked round to sit next to Logan on the bench.  "Looks like we're gonna be late for dinner at Joshua's," she said, resigned.

Logan shrugged, grinning as Ben neatly eluded Scott.  The wheelchair was a mile too big for him, but Ben had all that X5 DNA enabling him to give Scott a run for his money.  "I don't know where he gets it from – certainly not from me," Logan sighed.

"What, you blaming me?"

"If the cap fits…"

"Um, Logan, I seem to remember…"

"Max, if we're to get to Joshua's some time today…"

Steve was laughing.  Ben was leading Scott a merry dance, but Logan was starting to get concerned.  It was still only their closest friends who knew of Max's background.  Even years after the event, people were still suspicious and scared of the transgenics.  Max couldn't help her face being known, and she _was_ recognized from time to time but it didn't do to advertise.  Steve would surely question how Ben was able to out-maneuver Scott if it went on for too much longer.

"Ben, enough!"  The distraction of Max's yell was enough for Scott to catch up and grab one wheel of the chair, effectively holding him in place for a moment.

"Listen to your mother, young man," Scott scolded laughingly.  He added softly, "It's not a good idea to give away what you are to strangers."

Ben looked at Scott in some alarm, not having realized that Scott knew.  "You know?"

"Yeah, I do.  But I'm not telling anyone."

"How?"

"I'm a grown-up.  It's my job to know things."  Scott grinned.  "Race ya back!"

"Uh-uh.  I don't think so."

"Okay.  Next time you wanna do something this dumb, make sure no one else is around.  I wouldn't want to see you or your mom or dad get hurt because of some stupid prank.  Deal?"

"Deal."  Ben grinned at Scott.  Ben slid out of the chair and started to push it back, walking beside Scott.  When they got back to the bench, Ben pushed the chair straight over to his father.  "Sorry, Dad," he said, although his dancing eyes belied his contrition.

"That's okay, rascal."  Logan grinned and tousled his hair.  "But we need to get moving if we're to get to Joshua's today."

"Okay, Dad."  Ben held the chair steady as Logan transferred.

"Catch ya later, guys."

"Yeah, later," echoed Max.


	33. Dinner at Tiffany's

**Disclaimer:**  Nothing is mine, but it's my playground.

A/N:  Many thanks to my good friends alaidh and catherder for the beta.  Enjoy, folks!

Chapter 33:  Dinner at Tiffany's

Max drove the Series 3 right up to the front steps of Joshua's house and flicked the lever to open the trunk so she could get the wheelchair for Logan – his everyday chair, this time.  They had left the sports chair at home, having made a brief pit stop for Logan to shower and change out of his sweaty clothes.  The net curtain on the front window twitched slightly, and then the front door opened.  Joshua stood at the door expectantly.

The big transgenic's excitement was obvious.  He hadn't seen Max for a few days and he missed her.  Max, Original Cindy, and Gem, with the occasional visit from Alec, saved Joshua from the isolation that had been his lot in the past.  While he did venture out from time to time, most adults were scared of his fearsome appearance, although children soon overcame their fear.  Still, he spent a lot of time alone, and he craved human – or transgenic – company.  The artwork he created on buildings and schools was mostly created after-hours – on weekends or at night – when it was quiet.  Working at such times meant there were fewer distractions, but also less companionship.  Even after all this time, he still tended to create a stir in public.  It saddened Max – Joshua had so much to give.  His gentleness belied his appearance.

It had started to rain as soon as they left the apartment.  The clouds that had hung around all day had finally resolved into drizzle.  Logan, preparing to transfer, looked at the wet front steps of the ramshackle house with distaste and surrendered to the inevitable.  "Max…do you think just this once…"  He let the unspoken question hang in the air for a moment.

Max looked at him with the faintest of half-smiles and handed Eva and the sack of groceries she had bought for Joshua to Ben.

"Joshua, wanna give me a hand here?" she called.

"What's up, little fella?"  Joshua was by her side in a moment.

"Logan doesn't wanna get his feet wet going up the stairs."

Joshua gave a barking laugh.  "Sure, dry feet for Logan."  Joshua reached down and grabbed hold of the rear frame of the chair with both hands, while Max took hold on the front.  

"On three, big fella."

"Okay, Max."

"One – two – three."

They lifted Logan easily and gently set him down on the porch.  Joshua held the screen door open and Logan popped a wheelie over the doorstep and passed inside, saying, "Thanks, big fella."

"No problem, Logan."  Joshua dropped a long arm over Max's shoulder and they walked in together.  Ben, of course, had gone ahead, and when the rest of them entered the living room, he was standing in front of a huge canvas painting on an easel in the corner, comparing it to the photo propped on the mantelpiece.  It was a painting in a style not usually adopted by Joshua – a nearly perfect photographic rendering, rather than abstract.  Ben barely moved as Max took Eva from him and dropped her casually on Logan's lap.  

"Hey, Joshua!" Logan called.  "This is really good.  Where'd you get the photo?"

"OC convinced Sketchy to give it to me."

Logan studied the scene in the painting carefully.  It was all so familiar to him…and yet, it also had an air of unreality as well.  He was taken back to that cold morning in April 2021.  The transgenics and their three non-transgenic friends had gathered on the rooftop of Terminal City for the flag raising.  Sketchy had somehow managed to bring his camera into Terminal City – God only knew how he'd hidden it in his stormtrooper uniform, stolen from one of the phalanx members involved in the attack on Jam Pony.

Max put a hand on Logan's shoulder.  "I'd forgotten how tall you were," she said, simply.  She smiled, seeing the profiled group in the foreground – herself, Logan, Alec – watching as Joshua and the others raised the hand-painted flag on the roof of the tallest building in Terminal City – an act of defiance against the combined forces of government, police, and Ames White and his cult.  It had been a grim, gray morning, three days into the siege of Terminal City.  Despite the virus that still hovered over them like a specter, Logan and Max were clasping gloved hands.  Original Cindy had taken the photo with Sketchy's camera – no one had trusted Sketchy not to mess it up.

"Joshua, do you still have the flag?"

"Yes, little fella.  Sure."  Joshua looked a little sad.  "Sometimes I think it was better at Manticore.  People are still afraid."

Max turned around and hugged the big transgenic.  "I'm sorry, Joshua.  I wish it could be better for you."

He hugged her back.  "It's okay, Max."

Logan turned to face them.

"What happened to your face?" Joshua asked suddenly.  

"He had an argument with a metal post," Max responded.

"Ah, basketball," Joshua nodded knowledgeably.

Logan shrugged.  "We're going to the cabin tomorrow – probably the last time this year.  Wanna come?"

Joshua just grinned.  "That'd be great.  Joshua would like that."  While Joshua's speech had improved out of all recognition in the years he had been out of Manticore, sometimes, in moments of stress or excitement, it lapsed back to earlier patterns.

Logan turned back to the big canvas.  Ben had already wandered down to the basement, where he was tinkling the keys of the piano – now badly out of tune and suffering from disuse.  Alec had never gone near it since that first occasion at Joshua's dinner party.

Max reached down and grabbed Logan's hand, entwining her fingers with his, much like they were in the picture.  "Whatcha thinkin'?"

"It doesn't seem real any more, does it?  Did it really happen?  Was that us?"

Max gave a snorting half-laugh.  "It was real, all right."

Logan looked at their entwined fingers – no longer protected by latex and leather.  He ran his thumb over hers and smiled up at her.  Joshua had come to the kitchen door, but he backed away on seeing the look they were exchanging, mumbling something about Max and Logan and gettin' busy.

"It's all good, now," Max said softly.

"All the time," Logan replied in an equally soft voice.

"Ba-da-da-da," burbled Eva, kicking her feet, and effectively breaking the mood.

They exchanged glances and laughed.  "Joshua, it's safe to come out now," called Max.

Joshua came to the doorway hesitantly, carrying a steaming baking dish.

"What's for dinner?" asked Logan.

"Mac and cheese and little hot dogs," he replied.  "What else?"

*~*~*~

Logan stared out the window at the nighttime view.  The sky was heavy with clouds, although the forecast was for it to clear the following day.  Max quietly padded into the room on bare feet.  She had changed out of her clothes and was ready for bed, if not sleep.  She leaned against the window-frame thoughtfully, also staring into the night.

"So, we're going to the cabin tomorrow?" she asked, still slightly amused at Logan's spur-of-the-moment invitation to Joshua.

"Sure, why not?"

She nodded thoughtfully.  "I wish he had a better life."

"Joshua?"

"Yeah."

Logan chose his words carefully before replying, "Unfortunately, while we know the Joshua within, most people only see the Joshua without."  Logan sighed deeply and rubbed his shoulder, circling his arm to ease the stiffness.  "I am definitely not the man I was," he groaned, instantly lightening the mood.

Max suppressed the laugh that threatened to erupt.  "Come on, old man.  I'll give you a massage."  She straightened up, turned and left the room, pausing only once to give a saucy look over her shoulder at Logan, who grinned, shook his head, and followed her out.


	34. Family Ties

**Disclaimer****:**  Not mine, just wish they were.

**A/N****:**  As always, many thanks to catherder and alaidh for the beta.  Due to the possession of my keyboard by Max and Logan who are intent on me telling another, different story, Blessings is going to have a short break.  Rest assured, it will be back sometime in the new year.

**Chapter 34:  Family Ties**    

Logan leaned back in his seat and tapped the steering wheel with impatience.  An hour after picking up Joshua, they were still stuck in traffic on the outskirts of Seattle.  Logan inched the SUV forward again as the beat-up pickup ahead of them moved infinitesimally.  Joshua, sitting in the back seat, was in his element as he played a never-ending game of "I Spy" with Ben, and kept Eva entertained.

The traffic surged ahead a few more feet.  Logan wound down his window as they came alongside a motorcycle cop parked on the shoulder, and waited for him to stop speaking into his two-way radio.

"What's going on, officer?"

The cop looked up at the unexpected voice.  "Truck overturned.  Driver's trapped in the cabin."

Logan frowned grimly at that statement.  

"Where you headed?" the cop asked, and when Logan responded, he said, "Take the next exit and follow the road for about five miles, then make a left.  Road's not that good, but it'll get you there."

"Ah, this thing can handle it.  Thanks."  

The vehicles ahead moved forward again, inching up the highway.  The exit was in clear view a hundred yards ahead when the motorcycle started up and roared off.  Logan looked at the shoulder of the road, which was quite broad at this point, and wondered whether he should make use of it as well.  He checked the rear mirrors before looking at Max, who nodded her agreement.  The road they turned onto was paved, but only just. It was deeply potholed in places, with crumbling edges, but Bessietoo handled it with ease.  It was only a few miles before they would be turning onto the dirt road to the cabin.  

Max fiddled with the buttons on the radio, eventually locating a news station.  Reception was patchy – they were among thick trees and seemed to be getting close to the limit of the broadcast's range – but it was adequate.

"…warning for anyone heading out of town to stay…area due to a truck accident…overturned on a bend …"

Logan, without so much as a glance at Max, pressed the CD button, cutting off the broadcast.  In its place, the sounds of 30-year-old rock music filled the car.

*~*~*~

After a quick lunch, Logan found himself alone in the cabin since Joshua had insisted on accompanying Max on a walk.  After cleaning up the kitchen, he headed into town to spend some time with Jack and Rose.

Max, on the other hand, took Joshua on a long, rambling walk around the lake.  Joshua happily carried Eva, laughing when she pulled his long hair or scratched her nails on his face.  He loved babies and took pleasure in the company of Max and Ben.  He was also enjoying having the freedom to walk outside in daylight hours.  

By the time they returned to the cabin, darkness was starting to draw near and the scent of something filled with tomato and spice wafted from the kitchen.  The living room was illuminated only by a small fire that Logan had lit to take the dampness from the room.  He emerged from the bathroom as they entered, his hair damp and sticking out everywhere. He was clad in comfortable sweats and a well-worn t-shirt, having just showered.

"Mmmm, something sure smells good.  I see you've been busy," Max said, approval written all over her face.

"Hungry?"

"Starving," she smiled.

"Good.  Go washup and I'll have food on the table by the time you're finished."

*~*~*~

Ben was yawning when Max chased him upstairs to bed.  He had helped her clean up the kitchen after dinner and then pulled out a 1,000-piece jigsaw puzzle.  They had spread it over the rug near the fireplace, giving them space to work and had made a good start when Max sent Ben to bed, promising to leave him some to do in the morning – if they managed to get that far.  

Joshua was laughing at something Logan had said just before Max entered the room.  She elegantly crossed her legs and sat down beside them.  Joshua sat cross-legged across from Logan, who was sitting on the floor on his seat cushion.  Logan leaned forward on one hand, getting a closer look.  Joshua's spatial perception was almost as good as Max's.  They both had an uncanny skill for finding exactly the right shaped piece from a pile of similar pieces.  Ben had the same ability, although, in his case, it was still developing.  

They quietly studied the puzzle, which was a picture of a family group of dolphins in an ocean at sunset – a haze of blue, purple, and mauve.  

Max quickly tired of the activity.  The skill factor in putting together the puzzle was too low to keep her attention for long.  She scooped up Eva and sat in one of the armchairs, which she had turned to face them.

"What'll we do tomorrow?" Joshua asked Max.

"Do you think we can persuade Logan to take us on a picnic…if the weather is nice?" Max answered, settling more comfortably in the chair.

"Would you like that, Joshua?" Logan asked.  "This is your weekend, you know."

Joshua looked between one and the other, his head tilted to one side.  "I would like that…very much," he said quietly.  Joshua turned his attention back to the puzzle while Max and Logan exchanged smiles.

All that remained of the fire was a pile of glowing embers when they finally gave up on the almost-complete jigsaw puzzle.  Logan had been yawning and stretching for some time, trying to give Joshua a hint that he was ready for bed.  Finally, he pulled the wheelchair closer and transferred into it.  Disappointment was written all over Joshua's face, but he kept silent.

"Joshua, I think it's time for bed."  Max's tone was firm.  She emphasized the point by standing up to put Eva to bed.

"Okay, Max."  Joshua uncurled himself from the floor and started up the steps to the attic bedroom.  He was sharing the room with Ben, occupying one of the spare bunks.  "Goodnight, Logan and Max"

"'Night, Joshua," responded Logan.

"I'll come up and tuck you in," said Max, half-smiling.

Logan made use of the bathroom and generally prepared for bed while Max went upstairs with Joshua and checked on Ben.  Ben was deep asleep as only a child can be.  His hair was a tousled mess and he lay spreadeagled across the lower bunk, the blankets half on the floor, as usual.  "Kids, huh?" grunted Joshua, carefully setting his heavy boots on the floor beside the other set of bunks.  

"Yeah, big fella, kids."

Joshua sat down on the bed, ducking his head to avoid the upper bunk.  It was a tight squeeze for him to sleep on the bunk.  His feet hung over the end, poking out from under the blankets.

Max leaned down and kissed his cheek.  "Night, Joshua."

"Night, Max."

She covered Ben, turned out the light, and went back downstairs.  Logan had stripped off his sweatpants and was transferring onto the bed.  He sat there smiling at her until she came across and tilted his face to look at it in the light of the bed lamp.  The bruise on his cheek was more prominent than it had been the previous evening, forming a broad line along the line of his cheekbone from the level of his eye downward.  There was even a darker impression where the arm of his glasses had been forced in.

"It's a wonder that cop didn't arrest you when he saw this," she mused, gently running a finger down the mark.

Logan flinched away from the touch.  "Ow, careful."

She leaned in and held him in a light embrace, only to find that her first touch had triggered spasms in his calf muscle.  She knew that such spasticity was a common, if annoying, side effect of spinal cord injury – a result of the nerve cells below the level of injury being disconnected from the brain, thus causing an exaggeration of normal reflexes.  The spasms could be triggered by almost anything, although some things made them more likely.  More severe spasms were often caused by infection and injury.  Sometimes they could be caused by sitting incorrectly, an irritation, or even a touch.  The best treatment was preventive range of motion exercises.  Logan preferred to steer clear of medication, as nothing he had tried was completely effective and everything had side effects.  The exercises had the additional benefit of keeping his joints working properly and preventing contracture.  Max also added in some work on pressure points, which relieved stress, despite the fact the he couldn't feel what she was doing.

"Damn, knew I shouldn't have been sitting like that for so long," he said, as Max bobbed down and tried to massage the spasm away.

"Hey, it's okay," she said lifting his legs up onto the bed, while he lay back.  A few minutes of massage took care of the problem.  "There you go, all better now."  She smiled.

Logan sighed.  "You'd think after all this time…"

"Logan, honestly.  What is it Sam keeps telling you?  The spasms are useful.  They help with muscle and bone strength and circulation.  Don't knock it, okay?  Now, hold still.  Let momma take care of you."

"You're not my momma," he said with a wry grin, "Thank goodness."  Logan looked up at her indulgently as she ran through the various stretches, gently moving the joints and holding each for a count of ten.  As Max worked through the routine, there was a noise from the other room – footsteps and then the sound of water running in the kitchen.  Joshua looked in curiously, frowned and backed off.  "It's okay, Joshua.  You're not interrupting," said Max, frowning at Logan.  For his part, Logan blushed bright red.

"What're you doing?"  

"Range of motion exercises."

"Ah, I read about them in a book at my house."

"Really?  Then you know why I'm doing this as well."

"Yes.  Night again, Max."

"Night, Joshua."

Max finished the stretches and climbed into bed beside Logan.  More often than not, the exercises made him sleepy or relaxed, but this time he felt energized.  He rolled onto his side and pulled Max closer.  A tentative first kiss quickly took on a deeper connection, which soon led to Max helping him strip. Then she knelt beside him on the bed, looking at him intently, as she unbuttoned her satin pajamas, performing a tantalizing striptease of her own.

"Now, where were we?" she asked, lying down and pulling up the covers.

"Ooh, let me think," Logan responded with a sexy smile.  "I think round about…here…"

* * *


	35. Beware of a big surprise

**Disclaimer**: The usual applies. Nothing's changed.  
  
**A/N**: Many thanks to alaidh and catherder for the beta. Well...the story continues. I can't say how regularly I'll be posting at the moment, but rest assured, I'm not going to be stopping this one any time soon.  
  
****

**Chapter 35 – Beware of a big surprise**  
  
Logan, as was the case more often than not, woke to find himself alone in the bed, although upon reaching a hand across to touch Max's side, he found that her side of the bed wasn't yet completely cold. He pushed upright and sat on the side of the bed, gazing out into the soft light of a fine morning. Looking through the window, he could see Max walking around the lake with Eva on her hip. Every now and then, she bobbed down to pick up a stone, sending it skimming across the surface of the water before it sank from view.  
  
_"Flat, round stones are better, like this one," he said, handing her a round pebble from the lakeshore. "You need a hard, low, flat throw, and flick your wrist a bit so it spins; that way, the stone will bounce along the surface."  
  
"Like this?" she pitched the pebble, which immediately sank.  
  
"If you do it right, it can put your elbow or shoulder out." Logan grinned and reached for another pebble, the exoskeleton whirring as he bent his knees. "More like this," he said, skipping the stone across the water, 4, 5, 6 times, before it dropped with a plop.  
  
She scanned the ground at her feet and pounced on a rock, "Ah ha!" This time, Logan took her hand, molding his body to hers, the two of them moving as one. The projectile bounced, and again, and one more time before dropping into the lake. Max turned to face him, looking up, eyes shining. "How'd I do, professor?"  
  
"Not bad. You're getting the hang of it," he smiled.  
_  
A few minutes later, Logan wheeled out onto the porch, a bowl of cereal in his lap. Max was slowly headed back. He couldn't help grinning as she miscued a stone, having it sink from view at the first bounce. She must have sensed his eyes on her, because she turned, smiled, and waved. He returned the gesture.  
  
The sound of boots trudging down the stairs signaled that Joshua was awake. The lighter patter from Ben's sneakers followed soon after.  
  
Logan turned to face them as they came outside. "Good morning."  
  
"Good morning, Logan," Joshua responded in his strangely clipped speech.  
  
"Hey, Dad."  
  
"Plenty of cereal in the kitchen if you guys're hungry."  
  
"Okay, Logan."  
  
"Aren't ya gonna make us somethin' special, Dad?" asked Ben, disappointed.  
  
"Not today. Gotta do some shopping if we're going on a picnic today."  
  
"'Kay, Dad. Can I come?"  
  
"Don't you wanna finish that puzzle?" Logan said, raising an eyebrow, and half-smiling. _Why would anyone stay indoors on such a sparkling morning,_ he mused, forgetting how many such days he missed when submerged in his work.  
  
"Got all day for that." Ben gave a bright smile and a wave on seeing his mother slowly walking back. He ran down the ramp to meet her.  
  
Logan and Joshua exchanged amused looks. "Kids," they both said together and laughed.  
  
---------------------  
  
Logan slowly pushed his way down the cramped aisles of the market, a plastic basket in his lap. He had already selected a bag of crisp rolls and a plastic container of strawberries. They had brought the ingredients for salad with them from home, and he'd bought a cooked chicken from a fast food outlet down the street, intending to strip the carcass and add the pieces to the salad. He stopped in front of a display of wines, trying to decide what to buy. Unfortunately, the better vintages were on the top tier, away out of reach. He sighed and gazed up at the top shelf in frustration.  
  
"Do you need some help?"  
  
Logan turned his head in surprise. He hadn't heard anyone come up behind him. He saw a solidly built, dark-haired young man dressed in black trousers and white shirt. "Yes, thanks," he said, gratefully. "Top shelf, third bottle across." He backed out of the way, allowing the young man access.  
  
"Okay." He handed Logan the bottle with a flourish. "Is there anything else I can help you with?"  
  
"I think I'm okay with the rest. Thanks."  
  
"You're welcome."  
  
Logan nodded, thinking, _Manners aren't dead, after all_. Once upon a time, he'd have been offended by that kind of offer of assistance. Max had eventually beaten some sense into him, rightly pointing out that there were more important things in life than getting upset because someone wanted to _help_.  
  
-------------  
  
Max handed Eva to Joshua. "Can you take her for a few minutes? Something I gotta do."  
  
"Sure, Max."  
  
She went up into the loft, banging around in the storeroom for a few minutes before she found the cooler and the picnic basket, covered by a bag of old clothes. She came back downstairs, grinning in triumph, and walked through to the kitchen. "Logan'll want these when he comes back," she said to Joshua, who had followed her from the living room, trying to gently pry Eva's fist from his hair. Eva was pulling with all her baby might. Max dumped the basket and cooler on the table before turning her attention to rescuing Joshua from Eva. "Come on, baby, let go of Uncle Joshua. You're hurting him," she said gently.  
  
"Thanks, Max," he said, relieved, when Max had managed to get the baby to release his hair. He reached his other hand round and pulled it back from his face. "I forgot what little babies do to hair," he laughed, a hoarse, barking sound.  
  
"Yeah, they sure like to try and rip it out."  
  
--------------------------  
  
Logan carefully added the last few items to the picnic basket and shut the lid. Max had already loaded the cooler full of wine and other drinks into the back of the car and then settled herself in an armchair to feed Eva. Ben and Joshua were outside kicking a ball around in a never-ending game of soccer. Logan balanced the basket on his knees and, as an afterthought, grabbed the novel he'd been reading from the kitchen table and set it on top. He smiled at Max in passing before rolling out to the car.  
  
The ball came flying from behind, whacking Logan hard on the shoulder as he pushed the basket in. "Hey, you! Watch where you're kicking that!"  
  
"Sorry, Dad," called Ben. "You okay?"  
  
"Yeah," he said, rubbing his shoulder. He muttered half under his breath, "...attacking mere mortals from behind..." and pushed the basket further back.  
  
"Max, we're ready to go," he called.  
  
"Give me a couple of minutes!" she called back. "Logan, is there a blanket in the car?"  
  
Logan pushed himself back up the ramp. "Nope, forgot it," he said, popping over the step to go inside. He went over to the linen closet and peered inside at the lower shelves. "Must be up top," he said. He checked that the brakes on the wheelchair were locked and, oblivious to the fact that Max was watching in appreciation, grabbed the sturdy upper shelf with both hands and pulled himself up. "Ah, there it is." Max couldn't help grinning. The navy blue ribbed turtleneck Logan was wearing emphasized his well-developed shoulder and arm muscles, and owing to the oblique angle, she was being treated to a very nice view of his ass. He pinched a corner of the blanket under his fingers and lowered himself back down, finally pulling the blanket from the shelf and dropping it in his lap. Logan finally felt the eyes boring into his back. He unlocked the brakes and spun around to face Max. She still had a lingering upward curl on her lips. "Were you watching me?" he asked suspiciously.  
  
"Hey, can I help it if I think you're sexy?" She stood up, adjusting her clothes one handed, before walking to the door. She stopped and saucily cocked her left hip in Logan's direction, holding Eva on her right, and winking at the same time, gave a hoarsely purred, "Rowr," before stepping out the door.  
  
---------------  
  
Logan nosed Bessietoo out onto a grassy hilltop and killed the motor. "Will this do?" he asked, turning to look at Joshua.  
  
Joshua smiled and nodded. "Yes, this is good."  
  
Logan turned back and surveyed the scene. A light breeze ruffled the grass and swayed the branches of a small clump of trees. There was a wide level area, abutted by a sharp slope, that he knew led to a small stream. He'd been coming to this place on family picnics and other outings for as long as he could remember. It was scenic and secluded - a good place for private family gatherings.  
  
Joshua and Ben were first out of the car. Joshua wandered to the edge and looked down at the stream, while Ben started kicking the ball around. Max brought the wheelchair around, then released Eva from the child restraints.  
  
One of the reasons Logan had chosen this place was a single large rock that protruded from the otherwise nearly smooth hilltop. Logan flicked the blanket out in front of the rock, while Max and Joshua followed with the basket and drink cooler. While Logan slid to the ground and settled himself on his seat cushion with his back to the sun-warmed rock, then shoved the wheelchair back out of the way, Max and Joshua set the food and drinks within arm's reach. Max set Eva in the middle of the blanket with a couple of toys, where she sat very straight and looked around, her eyes huge and dark in her face, and sucked hard on a wet fist. Content to keep an eye on his daughter, Logan reached for the basket of food and started shredding the chicken into a large round container, already partly filled with chopped lettuce.  
  
Eva crawled closer to her father and sat beside him, watching the movement of his hands. Logan stopped what he was doing, moved the container aside, wiped his greasy fingers on a towel, and picked her up, standing her on his legs and letting her dance up and down while he held her. She was a strong, active baby, stronger even than Ben had been, and also very strong- willed. Logan picked her up and held her in the air, laughing as she reached for his glasses and always tantalizingly keeping her just out of arm's reach of the frames. She wriggled and laughed. Eventually, he sat her on his lap, her back curling into his belly, where she sat drumming her heels into the tops of his legs and trying very hard to pull his fingers into her mouth to chew. He picked up the novel with his free hand and started to read.  
  
Max came and sat beside Logan after briefly joining in the never-ending soccer game with Ben and Joshua. She flicked him a quick smile, which he reciprocated before turning his attention back to the book.  
  
"Ah, this is nice," sighed Max, snuggling into Logan's warm shoulder. "It's all so...ordinary."  
  
"Okay, so...define ordinary for me," Logan said as he placed the book face down on the ground beside him. A half-smile played on his face as he turned to look at her.  
  
"You, me, the kids, Joshua. Having a picnic on a sunny Sunday in Washington."  
  
"Hmm...sunny in Washington – that's not ordinary," he quipped. Logan pursed his lips, thinking. "So, ordinary is the paraplegic cyber-journalist, his wife, the escaped X5 campaigner for transgenic rights," he grinned, "their two half-transgenic children, and said wife's...brother, the half-dog, half- man."  
  
"Oh you," she punched his leg and rolled her eyes. "You know what I mean."  
  
"Yeah, I know. And you're right. This is all kinda ordinary...normal...and that's nice."  
  
"So ordinary girls aren't so bad?" she asked, raising an eyebrow.  
  
"Who said you were ordinary?"  
  
Max looked down at Logan's feet and grinned. "You know, your shoelace is undone. Wouldn't want you to trip over it or anything."  
  
Logan gave her a sidelong look, put Eva on the blanket beside him, and pulled his leg up to tie the lace. He left his leg there, hands interlocked behind his knee, as he leaned back against the rock and closed his eyes to the sun.  
  
-----------------------  
  
Max's head shot up as she heard a roar from the engines of a couple of SUVs. A moment later, the two vehicles shot into view, pulling to a stop near the Aztek. Joshua immediately turned away and adjusted the hood of his jacket so it shaded his face. Ben drew close to him, looking concerned, as two heavily armed men got out of the lead vehicle and walked across to where Max was slowly getting to her feet. She straightened, casting an alarmed glance at Logan, and in a deceptively innocent gesture, dusted off her behind.  
  
Logan straightened and put a protective arm around Eva, restraining her. He shot a glance at Max, then looked up at the two men curiously as they approached, restraining himself from putting a hand out for the wheelchair. If push came to shove, he wouldn't have a hope of getting into it in time, but like a security blanket, he needed to know it was there. Max, her instinct sensing they weren't in direct danger, bobbed down to pick up the baby, holding her loosely on a cocked left hip, and then donned her most charming smile. "What's up, boys?" she asked sweetly.  
  
"'Scuse the intrusion, ma'am. We're looking for an escapee from justice – broke out of jail last night. Very dangerous."  
  
"Oh!" Max's eyes rounded in surprise. "Well, as you can see, he's not here."  
  
"I can see that, ma'am. But he was last seen headed in this direction. You folks might want to pack up and have your picnic somewhere...safer." The deputy cast a pitying look at Logan. Logan instantly bristled and Max had to smother a smile, sensing his reaction.  
  
"Well, we'll think about it, but we're really just a family having a picnic. No one could possibly want to do anything to us."  
  
"You folks take care, now."  
  
"Yeah, have a nice day," said the other, who had remained silent until then.  
  
Max smiled sweetly again. "Good luck with your search, gentlemen." The first man gave a salute with his rifle, before turning and heading back to his vehicle.  
  
As they drove off, Max looked at Logan, who returned the eye contact, relaxing again now that they were gone. "Nothing like a visit from a bunch of armed men to ruin the quiet of your day," she said. "So, we stayin' or goin'?" she continued.  
  
"Well, what do you think the chances are?"  
  
"Oh, 'bout a million to one."  
  
"We're here," said Joshua firmly. He had joined them as soon as the vehicles were out of sight. "Might as well stay."  
  
"Good, 'cause this girl's hungry."  
  
"Ah, now that I can fix," replied Logan, smiling. He pulled the basket closer to her and opened the lid.  
  
"Hmm...decisions, decisions," she said, selecting one of the crusty rolls and the spinach dip. Logan turned his attention back to the salad as she broke apart the roll and dipped it in, then took a bite. "Mmm....", she said, and offered him the second half. She held him with a sultry look. Logan took that as an invitation and accepted the morsel, licking the last bit from her fingers. There was a promise there that he fully intended to follow up on later.  
  
Joshua grunted, reminding them that he was there.  
  
"Help yourself, Joshua," said Max, handing him the rest of the roll.  
  
"Save it for later, you two," said Joshua, quoting Alec.  
  
Max laughed at that. "Hey, we won't do it in front of you," she said, causing Logan to blush.  
  
Joshua joined her with a harsh laugh of his own. "I-I wish I had..."  
  
Max looked at him seriously, "I know, big fella," she said softly. "Life's a bitch when you're different."  
  
-----------------------------  
  
Logan packed the last items into the cooler and checked to see that there wasn't anything else on the blanket before he transferred into the wheelchair. Nothing remained of the meal. Even Ben had scarfed down every last bit of the salad on his plate, not protesting at having to eat rabbit food. The strawberries had been especially sweet and the wine beautifully complemented the food. Ben had protested loudly at only being allowed Coke while everyone else had wine or beer, but his parents had stood firm. "You're under age," had been his father's firm response, and in the end, he had stopped grumbling.  
  
Max had taken Ben and Joshua down to the stream and rinsed off the plates quickly, leaving Logan to pack away everything else while he kept half an eye on Eva, who sat in her stroller, confined but happy for the moment. He felt among the folds of the blanket for the corkscrew, noting that it was missing from its place in the picnic basket, then froze as something sharp was pressed into his neck. "Don't move," said a cold voice next to his ear.


	36. Uninvited Guest

**Disclaimer****: **See previous chapters.

**A/N**: Thanks to the ever-betaing alaidh and catherder.

**Chapter 36: Uninvited Guest**

"Car keys," the voice said. Logan hesitated. "Keys," the voice prompted again. He felt the pockets of his jeans, knowing full well the keys weren't there. The pockets were awkward for him to use, so he seldom did. He could sense Eva becoming restless, perhaps picking up on some of his tension. "Well?" the voice came a third time, closer to his ear, as if the owner had bent closer to him. The point of the knife, or whatever it was, dug a little harder into his neck.

"Pocket of the wheelchair," Logan answered tersely. His voice sounded strange to him. Eva chose that moment to let out a whimper. Logan directed his eyes to his daughter. She sat upright in the stroller looking at whoever was behind him. He was no longer leaning against the rock but had moved forward to sit with his legs crossed in order to repack the picnic basket, the cushion from the wheelchair behind him.

Logan felt his captor's grip change as he reached across to the wheelchair. In a brief moment of grim humor, he regretted not setting a mousetrap in the pocket – something that popped into his head from a long ago remembered animated movie, _"Nice booby trap…"_

-----------------------------

Max, crouched over the running water of the stream, talked to both Ben and Joshua as she rinsed the dishes off, handing them back to Joshua as she finished with each. She heard Logan's voice dimly in the distance, but thought he must have been talking to Eva, or even to himself.

-----------------------------

Logan cleared his throat. "You…won't be able to drive it," he found himself saying, and wondered why he was being so helpful.

"What?" the voice said, the keys jingling as he pulled them out.

"The wheelchair's not for decoration. You won't be able to…" Logan sensed a momentary distraction as Eva's whimper gained volume. With both hands, he grabbed the arm that now circled his neck, falling sideways and pulling hard as he did. He held on with all his strength. His opponent fell with him, pulled off-balance. "…drive it," Logan ground out, finally.

Logan's opponent writhed under him, kicking, punching with his free hand and generally trying to get away. Logan knew he wouldn't be able to hold on for very long against larger, stronger opposition. All the upper body strength in the world couldn't compensate this time. "Max!" he called once, and swung a lucky elbow back, catching the man in the jaw, slowing him for a moment. It was enough to give Logan the chance to grab his other arm, although he still bucked and kicked out. Max was suddenly beside them, as was Joshua.

"Okay, you can let go now," she said to Logan grimly.

Joshua grabbed the man by his shirt collar and roughly hauled him to his feet, holding him tightly with an arm pulled up behind his back. "What're we gonna do now, Max?" Joshua asked.

"Got any rope?" Max asked Logan.

Logan had scooted over to the stroller and was reaching up to release Eva. "Should be some in the car," he answered undoing the harness. Eva reached out to him, almost tumbling out in her haste to get to her father.

"You okay?" she asked, seeing Logan's strained face as he cradled Eva.

Logan looked up at her, "I'm…I'm fine," he said with a half-smile.

Max nodded, satisfied. "Ben!" she called as she turned toward the car. "You can come out now."

Joshua adjusted his grip on the escaped prisoner and, with a warning growl, shoved him in the direction of the car, where Max efficiently trussed him hand and foot, and tossed him into the hatch.

Ben quietly appeared clutching the cooler bag, abandoned by Max when she'd heard Logan's call. He was white-faced and shaking.

"Hey, it's okay now," said Logan as Ben knelt beside him. He gave the boy a reassuring one-handed hug around the shoulders. "You wanna get me my chair? I think the sooner we're outta here the better, don't you?"

"Sure, Dad." Ben smiled and quickly did as he was asked, putting the seat cushion into place and positioning the chair, with the brakes locked ,behind his father. .

----------------------------

Logan brought the car to a stop outside the sheriff's office. Max smiled as she handed him the pieces of his wheelchair to assemble. They'd kept the chair in the front seat for the trip into town, wary of leaving anything that remotely resembled a weapon near the prisoner in the back in case he got loose. With the kids in the car, neither Max nor Logan was prepared to take any chances. "You don't want me to do this?" Max asked.

"I got it covered," he replied, preparing to transfer. Logan shut the door and made his way up the gutter, making use of a driveway to mount the pavement and popping a small wheelie to get up a small step into the office. The front desk was deserted. He rapped on the timber a couple of times but there was no response. "Hey! Anyone there?!" he called.

There was a noise from the rear and one of the men from that morning emerged holding a steaming cup of coffee. "Can I help you?"

"Yeah. We…appear to have found something that belongs to you." Logan gave a wry grin at the deputy's puzzled expression. "Come with me," he said, smoothly turning to face the door. "It's outside in the car." Logan stopped and looked back when the man didn't follow him immediately. Logan headed for the door as the deputy came to a decision and took a few steps in its direction. He popped down to the pavement and did a small wheelie to drop down to the roadway behind the car. Max had already opened the hatch and let down the tailgate and was standing beside the car.

The deputy did an instant double take on seeing Max and Joshua's handiwork. The prisoner, his hands and feet tied, lay on the floor of the hatch, his face mashed into the carpet. "How the heck…"

"My…brother-in-law is kinda strong," Logan replied airily by way of explanation. "Now, if you'll take your trash, I'd like to get out of here."

"Sure." The deputy turned back to the door of the office. "Mason! Killeen! Get your lazy butts out here!"

----------------------------

Night was drawing near by the time they dropped Joshua at his home and drove into the parking lot of the apartment building. They had gone back to the cabin and packed up, not wanting to linger after the events of the day. Although Joshua had waved them off happily enough from the front porch of his house, he had been subdued for the trip home. Ben was also quiet. Max took her time with both children, presenting at her most motherly. While she bathed Eva and listened as Ben read out loud to her, Logan prepared a basic dinner and started the laundry, deliberately trying to show Ben that life went on despite the external factors.

---------------------------

Max slid gratefully into the hot water, stirring the bubbles. She lay back against the edge of the tub and closed her eyes with a blissful sigh.

Logan pushed into the bathroom a few minutes later, sliding the door shut behind him. She opened one eye, then snapped the other open and smiled appreciatively, while he, in his turn, studied her, his head tilted to one side. He enjoyed seeing her up to her neck in bubbles and totally relaxed. Max, for her part, was taking pleasure in looking at him. He sat in the wheelchair wearing nothing but a pair of gray silk boxer shorts. She ran her eyes over his shoulders and arms, and down his chest, taking in the curling hair scattered there, then back to his face.

"All quiet. They're asleep," he said softly. "No problem with Eva in her new room tonight."

"Well, it's about time. How long is it since we shifted her out of our room?" Max replied, equally softly. "Does that mean that mom and dad can play now?" she asked in mock-seriousness. "Come on in, the water's warm."

Logan edged closer to the bathtub and worked his way out of his boxers before sliding into the warm water. Max weighted his legs down with her own, moving around until she was partly sideways to him on the opposite side. The bathtub was large enough to comfortably accommodate the two of them, in fact, it would hold more. Max often joked that the bathtub was big enough to hold swimming races. Logan's long legs easily fit across the width with a little room to spare. Max slid down one more blissful inch and closed her eyes as Logan smiled at her indulgently. A long, hot bath full of bubbles was one of Max's few vices, just as basketball and fine wine were his.

"Sorry…'bout today," he said hesitantly.

Max shrugged, rippling the surface. Logan wasn't sure if it was a "no big dealio", or "shit happens" or even "next time I may not be there" shrug. "What were the chances in all that wilderness," she said.

"What is it that OC says?" Logan continued thoughtfully. "Trouble follows us like the tail on a dog?"

Max snorted. "Foh real foh sure, boo."

That resulted in a smile. The clefts in Logan's cheeks deepened appreciably. She looked at him critically, his face covered with four days' worth of stubble, the almost-healed bruise on his cheek, and decided that enough was enough. Normally, she didn't mind the scruff; it was part of him, like Eyes Only, the wheelchair, and Bessie. But tonight a change was in order. Smiling lazily, she reached behind her, groping blindly for the razor and the can of shaving cream. "That'll kill the bubbles," Logan observed as she slid around closer to him.

"I don't mind," she replied mildly, then, putting a hand out to steady herself on the side of the tub, straddled his legs. "Hold still," she said, working the foam over his face. She frowned in concentration, a tiny pink triangle of tongue peeking out the corner of her mouth. Logan put a hand on either side of her waist and held her steady. He was amazed that, even after all this time, he could all but link his fingers around her. Even after two children, she still maintained the figure of a much younger woman. He kept his eyes on her face as she plied the razor, her upper body clear of the water, the skin smooth, covered in drops of water that made her shine like a seal. He restrained himself from touching anything other than her waist for fear of what she might do with the razor, but only succeeded by keeping his eyes firmly on hers. She finished quickly and wiped his face with a washcloth, then sat back on her haunches to survey her handiwork.

"Mmm, nice," she smiled, then gasped as Logan loosed his hold of her waist and roughly pulled her face to his. She put her hands on the side of the bath, pinning them both to the side of the bathtub, deepening the connection, mouth searching mouth hungrily. Then she backed up and looked at him wonderingly, face flushed, lips swollen. Without a word, she stood, grabbed a towel and got out. She scrubbed herself fiercely dry, making her skin glow, before wrapping herself in the towel and walking into the bedroom. Logan smiled to himself as she vanished from view. He pulled the plug and got out carefully, one hand gripping the grab rail and the other on the side of the tub. He sat with one towel loosely wrapped around him while he dried the rest of his body before going back into the bedroom. Max wasn't there, but he heard a noise from the kitchen as he transferred into the bed.

Max came back a few minutes later, her arms wrapped around something or somethings she clutched tightly to her body.

"Whatcha got?" he asked curiously, then realized she held a number of thick candles and a box of matches.

"Thought you might enjoy some…ambience," she said, smiling. "Setting the mood, so to speak."

He nodded and settled into the pillows more comfortably as she set the candles in several different locations around the room, taking care to keep them out of range of the curtains, and lighting them as she went. The last thing she did was turn out the overhead light before dropping the towel over the top of the laundry hamper and sliding into the bed.

Logan wrapped his arms around her, resting his chin on top of her head.

"Ya know, there was a time I thought cuddling was weird."

Logan gave a silent laugh. "Did you really?"

"Mmmm-hmmm."

"Well, I guess it sort of depends who you're with at the time."

Max looked up at him, her eyes reflecting the light of the candle on the dressing table. "Only one person I want to be with."

"And that is?" he teased.

"Shut up," she said, grabbing his head and claiming his lips.

They paused to catch a breath, eye contact established and maintained. Max idly stroked Logan's shoulder with gentle fingers, while the solid weight of his arm created a warm spot on her side where it lay on top of the covers.

"And now?" Logan prompted, resuming the conversation.

"Weird but nice?" Max raised a questioning brow, expecting a laugh in response. Instead, she was rewarded with a glowing smile.

"I can live with that," he said, pursing his lips as he considered her statement.

Max became aware of a presence in the doorway to the room and turned her head to look. "Ben? What's up, sweetie?"

"I had a bad dream, Mom."

Max exchanged glances with Logan. "Okay, honey. Just go back to bed. I'll be there in a minute." She watched Ben leave hesitantly. "Guess we shouldn't be surprised after today."

"He's my kid, too," Logan said simply, watching as Max slid out of the bed and started to pull on her robe. "I used to suffer from nightmares at his age."

"Used to?" Max asked.

"Well…" he responded.

Max gave a small laugh.

"Still, it's a shame."

"What is?"

"Covering up all that perfection," he grinned lasciviously, rolling onto his back and folding his arms behind his head.

"You bad boy!" she said.

--------------------

"Hey! Wake up!" Max demanded, giving Logan a shake.

"What?" he mumbled.

"Logan, wake up!"

"What's the matter," he asked, opening one sleepy eye.

"Nothing," Max said, sliding back into the bed. "Come on, wake up, Logie…."

"Argh, you had to call me that name!" Logan grimaced.

"Got your attention, didn't I?" she laughed.

Logan rolled his eyes. "Ben?"

"Asleep, finally. Guess today was too much for him."

Logan nodded. "Come here, woman," he said. "We're wasting all this…ambience."

"I was hoping you'd say that," she laughed, snuggling close. "You weren't really asleep, were you?"

"Nope."

"Didn't think so. Breathing didn't sound right."

"Shut up," Logan said, pulling her head down and claiming her lips again.


	37. Gettin' the bitch over with

**Disclaimer**: See all the other chapters.

**A/N**: Many thanks to catherder for the beta. Alaidh will do her beta once she's settled in her new place of abode, so watch out for the updated version in due course.

On a personal note, I know this has been a long time coming, so I hope the extra length makes up for that.

**Ch 37: Gettin' the bitch over with**

Logan grimaced and grasped his trembling thigh with both hands, working his fingers into the muscle. There was no pain, but it was annoying, and he wondered why it was happening. He seldom suffered from leg spasms, and never had prior to the two transgenic transfusions that resulted in the temporary miracle cures. Back spasms were something else, though – mostly they resulted from overdoing things, and they could be extremely painful. He had now had three leg spasms within two days. That was unusual and a sign that something was wrong, and for Logan, it had pretty much been the last straw. The one last night had come at a particularly inopportune moment, as if one lot of interruptus from Ben hadn't been enough. Max had been understanding, had even thoroughly checked his body for pressure sores and other injuries, finding the set of bruises on his lower back that had resulted from the day's events, then just snuggled up against Logan's body, giving up any thought of taking things further. He was too out of sorts by then to do anything more in any case.

Max walked in, a dishtowel over her shoulder. "Hey, what's taking you…" she quickly realized the problem. "Logan?" she looked at him questioningly.

"I'm gonna call Sam," he said shortly, releasing his leg.

"Good, because if you didn't, I was going to."

He looked down at his leg in frustration. He'd asked Sam about this problem before and had been told that in all probability there was still some tenuous nerve connection as a result of Joshua's transfusion. When the injury was complete, as Logan's had originally been, once the outraged nerve endings settled down following the injury and surgery, spasticity wasn't usually a problem. In fact, some people with severe partial injuries ended up having further surgery to completely sever the spinal cord if their spasms were too frequent or disruptive. The question Logan wanted answered was why something that had been an infrequent event was now becoming an annoyance.

Max gave his shoulder a squeeze. "Hurry up, breakfast's ready," she said.

"Thought I could smell something burning," Logan quipped, preparing to transfer. He stopped and pulled a face as the spasm restarted and began massaging again.

"Gee, thanks, Logan," Max responded dryly. She looked at him in concern, thought about saying something further, but then just turned to go. There was nothing she could say that would help.

"I'll be there in a minute," he replied, reaching for the wheelchair again.

--------------------

Max was sitting at the counter with Eva, eating toast and reading the newspaper she had propped against the milk jug when Logan made his way into the kitchen. There was another plate and a steaming cup of coffee in front of the vacant seat beside her. Another plateful of crusts and crumbs on the end of the counter, and a white tidemark in a glass, testified to the fact that Ben had already eaten. Logan looked up at the stool and sighed, thinking that he really didn't feel like doing the transfer this morning, that it was almost beyond him. He wished she'd put the breakfast things in the dining room just this once. Even so, he put the phone on the counter with a loud 'clunk,' grabbed the counter-top and the back of the seat and made his move, a smooth maneuver that usually brought a smile to Max's face. Max gave his hand a squeeze before turning her attention back to the newspaper, thin as it was. He took a cautious sip of the hot coffee before hitting speed dial 7 on the phone.

"Hey, Sam, it's Logan. Is there any chance you could spare me a few minutes this morning?" he asked without preamble.

He listened for a moment, nodded and broke the connection, snapping the phone shut thoughtfully.

Max raised a questioning brow as he picked up a piece of toast and took a bite. She had heard Sam's response to Logan's question. "Do you want me to come?"

Logan shook his head. "No, that's okay. I'll be fine."

"Long as you're sure."

"I am." Logan looked at his watch, took a couple of quick swigs from his coffee and transferred back into the wheelchair. "Ben! You want a ride to school?"

"Sure, Dad," Ben called back from the living room.

"Well, come on!. I'm going now."

Max watched him leave, worry written all over her face.

-------------------------

Logan had been waiting in Sam's office for some ten minutes before the doctor arrived. "Thanks for fitting me in, Sam," Logan said as the surgeon entered the room.

"That's okay, Logan. I know you wouldn't have called unless it was serious." Sam looked at him kindly, head to one side, and gestured for Logan to get up on the examination table while he brought up the file on his computer.

The movement triggered yet another series of spasms, this time in Logan's calf muscle, causing his foot to jerk as he transferred to the table. "Damn, not again." Sam barely caught the muttered expletive as Logan pulled his leg up and started to massage the offending muscle.

"How long has this been happening?" asked Sam, quickly catching on that this was probably the reason for Logan's phone call.

"Couple of days," Logan admitted, releasing his leg and pushing himself up straight.

Logan stripped off his jacket and t-shirt as Sam walked around the examination table. He couldn't see Sam's expression as the doctor noted the bruises inflicted by the escaped prisoner the previous day, but he did feel the doctor's cold but gentle hands on his upper back.

"Logan, where did these bruises come from?" he asked.

"Long story…"

"Isn't it always? You need to be more careful. You can get dressed now," Sam said walking back to his desk. He sat down and keyed some information into the computer, then picked up a pen, twirling it between his fingers. "Without doing further tests to be certain, I'd say what we're looking at is probably degeneration of the spinal cord," Sam said, not looking up at him.

Logan, adjusting his t-shirt, paused to look at the doctor.

"I think what is happening is that the tiny remaining connection from the last transgenic transfusion is breaking down and that's what's causing these recurrent spasms. Why that connection has lasted so long, I don't know."

"So what do we do about it?" Logan asked.

"There's two courses open, and I really want to do further tests before going with either. Firstly, there's medication that can control the spasms, or, alternatively, I can operate to sever the connections now, or it's also possible to operate to separate the muscles and disrupt the spasms. Neither course is problem free. If you chose to go with medication, there's no guarantee as to how long it will take for this to settle – it could be a week, a month, a year...maybe even longer, and there's usually side effects from the medication. Surgery…well, you know about that." He tapped the section of the diagram on his computer screen with the pen showing the junction of three major blood vessels. "In any event, the spasms are likely to become more frequent as things come to a head."

"Tell me about the side effects."

"The major one is drowsiness. Even non-drowsy muscle relaxants aren't always non-drowsy. And, of course, sometimes non-drowsy medications can have the effect of actually preventing sleep." Sam looked at Logan seriously, knowing that his patient was a chronic insomniac. He knew that Logan seldom slept more than about five hours a night, and often a good deal less. Sam continued to outline the side effects as Logan put his jacket back on and slid down from the table into the wheelchair. "In addition, they can cause depression and general muscle weakness, depending on the type of medication. Could even affect your normal day-to-day activities."

Logan nodded.

"Just let me make a phone call. I'm going to try to book you in for a CT scan today."

Logan grimaced at that. Sam apparently knew him too well – that he was likely not to turn up if the appointment was made for another day.

---------------------------

Max strapped Eva into the baby seat and drove out of the parking garage into light rain on the street. She had to get out. Anything was better than sitting around waiting for Logan to get back. _I should have gone with him,_ she thought, turning the car in the direction of Metro Medical. She reconsidered at the next intersection, figuring Logan wouldn't appreciate her checking up on him, and headed for Original Cindy's place of employment instead.

"Whassup, girl?" Original Cindy asked, turning to look away from her customer briefly as Max pushed the door open with one hand and shoved the stroller in with the other.

"Nothin' much, OC," Max replied, with a smile that didn't touch her eyes.

"Yeah, right. I know that look. Something's up, boo," she said. "You got that 'Logan ain't treatin' me right' look about you."

"Logan is treating me fine," replied Max, sliding into the vacant seat beside the one occupied by Cindy's customer.

Original Cindy snorted and turned her attention back to her customer, putting a couple of finishing touches and then giving her the once over. "Looks like we're done, Mrs D," she said brightly, helping the elderly lady to her feet. Max was silent while Mrs D paid Original Cindy and left, rocking the stroller with her foot to keep Eva happy. Cindy came over and stood with her hands on her hips looking at Max critically. "Somethin' _is_ wrong, boo. You gonna 'fess up or do I have to drag it outta you?"

"Just worried about Logan is all," Max said, rolling her eyes.

"Like that's different?" Cindy joked, trying to lighten the mood. "Now, let's see my precious here," she said, undoing Eva's safety harness and picking her up. "My you gettin' big, girl." She nuzzled Eva's cheek, taking in the freshly washed baby smell. "Mmm…"

Max grinned at her friend.

"That's better." Original Cindy changed her demeanor, looking at Max from a professional point of view. "Those nails need some attention, boo. Why don't you take your mind off whatever big secret is buggin' ya with some TLC from Original Cindy?"

------------------

Logan slowly pushed his way through the apartment, leaving his jacket and keys on the dinner table, and taking up a position by the picture windows. He had been surprised to see that Max's car was gone when he drove into the parking garage, although he wasn't concerned, rightly guessing that she'd gone to see Original Cindy – something she often did, especially when she was stressed or worried or just needed a good chat and some ghetto-momma wisdom. He locked the brakes with a resounding snap and stared unseeingly out the windows. The rain had gotten heavier, obscuring the view and sending lines of rivulets down the glass. The sky was dark gray and threatening, a perfect match to his mood. One hand rested on the wheel of his chair, the other on his leg, unconsciously rubbing back and forth.

Max came back an hour later – nails done, make-up perfect, hair washed and styled under OC's personal supervision. She left Eva on the living room rug with a pile of toys and joined Logan in the dining room, pulling out a chair and sitting sideways, her arm over the back. Sam had called her, knowing Logan's record at passing on bad news. "Hey," she said softly, touching the hand that still rested on his leg.

"Hey yourself," he replied after a long pause, tearing his eyes away from the streams of water pouring down the window.

She picked up his hand, sandwiching it between her two, and gave him a smile.

"Sam called you." It was a statement rather than a question.

"Yeah, he did."

Logan exhaled and nodded slowly, the simple gesture seeming to take all his energy. He turned his gaze back to the window.

"Logan, this'll be okay, you know."

He looked back to her. "I know. It's just…hospitals." He shrugged. He reached up a hand and touched her face softly. "I'm glad he called you. He said he would. I'm just not…"

"Not very good at telling people when you got a problem?" Max asked. "Gee, that's news." She stood up and smiled at him. "Coffee?"

"Yeah…yes, please," he replied. Reaching a decision, he unlocked his brakes and gave her a smile. "I'm gonna do some work," he said resolutely. "The Informant Net isn't gonna wait just because I'm feeling blue."

"You're the boss," she said turning to go in the kitchen. "I'll bring your coffee in."

"Thanks," he smiled and started pushing his way out of the room. He hesitated, hearing a crash and a yelp from the living room. Max stopped and was about to investigate, but he stopped her. "I got it," he said.

"Okay, Dad," she said, smiling. "You take care of it."

-------------------------

"Hey, wakey-wakey, lazybones," OC prodded Ben's leg, the only recognizable part of the mound of blankets that she could see. "You gotta go to school, sugah."

The bedding heaved and a tousled head popped out of one corner. "Awww, but…but…Aunty OC!"

"No buts. Up!"

Ben rolled on his back and sat up, clutching his knees. He looked so miserable that Original Cindy sat beside him on the edge of what had once been Max's bed and gave him a warm hug. "Your Daddy been through worse'n this. He's one tough guy. He'll be fine."

"I know. It's just…he doesn't like hospitals."

"Yeah, and neither does your Momma because of…well, just because. But they both relyin' on me to take good care of their boy, and that means you gotta get dressed and go to school."

Ben gave a big sigh and turned his serious green eyes on Cindy. "I guess."

"Besides, its Friday. Only one more day and I'll give you a whole weekend off," she grinned.

"Okay."

"Good boy," she said. "Now, you do what you have to and I'll whip up somethin' special for breakfast. Can't have my number one man goin' off to school emptier than a politician's promise."

"Huh?" Ben looked at her blankly.

"Hungry, sunshine, hungry," she grinned.

-------------------------

"Give me a minute," Max said, stopping the car outside the hospital entrance. She entered the building, coming back a few minutes later with a clunky hospital-issue wheelchair. Logan opened his door and eyed the black monster with distaste.

"What's that for?" he asked.

"For you, sweetheart," she smiled sweetly. "First off, you're gonna be stuck in bed for the next…however long. You won't need your chair. Secondly, you're not gonna try to escape in this thing."

"But Max…"

"Don't 'But Max' me. I'm not letting you chicken out."

"I wasn't going to," Logan replied. "Besides, even if I did escape, we came in your car, not mine." She stared at him impassively while he gave her a defiant look. Eventually, Logan looked away. "You win."

"Was there ever any doubt?"

"No, Max," Logan replied in resignation. He made an awkward transfer, inwardly cursing the high armrests that got in his way, while Max held the chair to stop it from moving, functional brakes having been an oversight. When she stepped back so he could reverse away from the car, he immediately found that this was a heavy and ill-directed beast, unlike his own light-weight custom-built chair, and all the other wheelchairs he'd used over the years. And it definitely didn't like the rough surface outside. He waited grumpily near the entrance while she found a parking space and returned with his bag and Eva in her stroller.

"What's up, honey?" she asked, grinning at his sour expression.

"Nothing, Max," he said, and turned to enter the building.

It took a few minutes for them to go through the formalities in reception, then they were escorted by a porter to a room on the third floor. Although obviously designed to take two beds, judging by the various outlets and light fitting on the far wall, the room currently only held one. There was a large window with a view overlooking the low-lying areas of the city. It even had a private bathroom. "Nice," was Max's comment as she looked around the room. She stowed Logan's small bag in bottom of the nightstand and stood by the window looking out. "What happens next?" she asked.

"I have no idea," replied Logan. "Every other time I've come into this place, I've been unconscious already."

"Right."

"I guess we wait," he said, rubbing his hands along the tops of his legs. He could feel the faint spasms in his left leg, and wondered how long it had actually been happening. "I hate this."

"I know." She looked at him, her expression reflecting her concern. "This is gonna be okay," she said with a soft smile, and just for a second remembered another occasion where she had used those exact words, a time when it hadn't really been okay.

"Right," he said. "It'll be okay." _If I don't bleed out because Sam nicks a blood vessel, or if he doesn't end up doing more damage, or if…_

"Hey," she said giving him a smile. "You got too many people dependin' on you. You gotta come home again, right?"

"Max…oh, never mind," he said, as a nurse came in.

She handed Logan a clipboard with a pen under the clip together with a white hospital gown. "Can you fill this in, and then if you wouldn't mind getting changed into the gown. They'll be ready to take you down to surgery in about 40 minutes."

Logan dropped the gown on the bed with a grimace and started to fill in the form, while Max picked up Eva who was starting to whine complaining at sitting still in the stroller. She walked around the bed and peered over his shoulder at the form. "Hmmm, legal stuff," she said, reading the consent form as he filled in various bits of information.

"They have to cover their backs as well, Max," Logan said mildly, signing his name with the usual illegible scrawl. He put the clipboard on the bed and grabbed the gown, heading for the bathroom for what would probably be his last bit of privacy for who knew how long.

Max could feel waves of tension starting to emanate from him. Her own stomach was full of butterflies. She gave a concerned look after his retreating back, and after he shut the door, she hugged Eva close and kissed the top of her head. "You know what, I think Daddy's a little nervous about this. Can't say I blame him," she said quietly. Eva reached up a soft, pudgy hand to her mother's mouth as she spoke. _Ah, who am I fooling? I'm as nervous as he is._ Max wandered back to the window, leaning against the cold glass. She gazed unseeingly out at the view, the hilltop location enabling her to see a large chunk of the better end of town, with the Space Needle standing sentinel in the distance. "You all right in there?" she called.

"Yeah," came Logan's response.

Who'd have thought that Joshua's transfusion could still be making its presence felt…could still be causing problems…after so long.

Logan came out a moment later, his clothes neatly folded on his lap, shoes on top. He pushed around the bed to the night stand and placed them inside, on top of his bag, and took off his glasses, placing them in the drawer. He looked at Max myopically and gave her a watery smile. "Guess I'm ready now." He wiped his sweaty palms along the bit of gown on his thighs. Max pulled herself away from the window and sat down in the visitor's chair facing him. She took his hand in one of her own, the other holding the baby on her knee. "Look, just remember, whatever happens, I'm here and I'll always be here."

"I know." Eva reached out to her father, and he leaned across to take her, the unfamiliar wheelchair shifting as he moved. He held the baby upright, letting her dance on his legs while she babbled and smiled at him, her dark eyes, so like her mother's. She bounced strongly on pudgy baby legs. Max, watching the change in Logan – his children were the light of his life – knew that, if nothing else, that would help to bring him through all of this.

_Well, who would have though we'd come this far, Logan. We went through so much. I'm not gonna lose you now. You need to be strong, for your family. I think you know by now that I never saw the wheelchair –I fell in love with the guy in the chair, the one with all the rules and issues. And if something goes wrong – if things are worse after this, then that's just life. _Max looked down, studying the worn linoleum on the floor, Logan's feet intruding into the top of her vision. _You always did have ugly feet, _she thought, _but for a guy who's spent the last 15 years in a wheelchair, you don't have bad legs_. Slowly running her gaze upwards, she realized that he had been watching her, even as he held the baby. She gave a nervous smile. "How much longer we gonna have to wait?"

"What's the hurry?"

"I just wanna get this bitch over with," she said.

--------------------------------------

Max paced up and down in the waiting room, hoping that Eva would sleep. Something of her stress must have been communicating itself to the baby, because she steadfastly kept her eyes open, whining every now again. Logan had been in surgery for over an hour, and Sam expected that he wouldn't be out before late afternoon. He had spoken to her briefly on the way to surgery, holding her hand for a moment, his brow furrowed, the dark eyes reassuring and sensible.

Logan'll be okay. He's been through this before…He really hates this place, though – can't say I blame him for that…Max resumed her pacing.

-------------------------------

Max leaned back in the chair, her feet propped on the edge of the bed, despite receiving a glare from one of the nurses earlier in the afternoon. It was evening; the light outside the window had slowly faded to darkness. She had slipped out an hour before and found something to eat at the cafeteria downstairs and was now feeding Eva while she watched over Logan's sleeping form in the bed. Six hours of surgery had been required to sever the offending nerves and remove and replace the screw that had shifted and was pressing on them. _When your back is held together by a carpenter's workshop of hooks, screws and rods, and you have this bad habit of putting yourself in the firing line… it's a wonder this didn't happen sooner,_ Max mused.She expected he'd sleep a good deal longer. Sam had spoken to her, still dressed in his scrubs, to tell her that it had gone well – no complications. For now, her sharp hearing was conscious of the slight noise from the drip that ran into Logan's left arm, and the other monitors to which he was attached, and was sensitive to every nuance in his breathing. Even the faint twitching of which he had mostly been unaware but that had woken her on many occasions recently, even when there weren't major spasms, was gone.

It had taken Sam a couple of days to set up the surgery. After the past problems with having sufficient compatible blood on hand, and the results of two transgenic transfusions, he wanted to be sure there was plenty in reserve…and the operating theatres had been booked solid for most of the week. Logan had grown increasingly twitchy, in more ways than one, as the week went on. In a way, he had been relieved to check into the hospital early that morning after a sleepless night.

Max carefully placed the now-sleeping Eva in her stroller. It had been a long day for the baby as well, and she had been remarkably well-behaved in the circumstances. When Max had gone in search of some dinner earlier, she had taken the opportunity to step outside briefly and check Logan's cellphone for messages. Now she picked up the hospital-issue phone beside Logan's bed to make an important call.

"You got Original Cindy," came a familiar voice.

"Hey."

"Hey, Max. How's Logan?"

"Still snoozin'."

"I'll put your man on." Max heard a 'clunk' as OC put the phone on the table, and voices in the background before Ben came on the line.

"Hey, Mom," he said.

"Hey, sunshine. I just thought you'd like to know that Daddy's okay, but he's still asleep and I'll be staying here until he wakes up, okay?"

"Okay, I guess. I…"

Max smiled at the hesitation. "Take care of your aunty for me and I'll see you in the morning, 'kay?"

"Sure, Mom. Love you."

"Love you too." Max smiled and dropped the receiver back on its cradle.

With a sigh, she picked up the phone again and dialed home to see if there were any urgent messages on the answering machine. The first one played, "Hey, Logan, it's Matt. Call me when you get a chance." Max disregarded that one for now as being Eyes Only business.

The next message played straight after the first. "Logan, it's Scott. Where are you, man? We had a basketball game tonight. Call me." Three hang-ups – she assumed either Scott or Matt again. She broke the connection and proceeded to dial Scott's number. He answered quickly.

"Hey, you must've been right next to the phone," she said in surprise.

"Max, hey. Yeah, I was about to call Logan again. Where is he?"

"He's…ah…right here."

"So put him on!"

"I can't. He's slightly unconscious."

"Slightly unconscious? Max, where are you?"

"Metro Medical. Logan had surgery today. Guess he spaced on letting people know."

Scott gave a long whistle. "What kind of surgery? He's okay?" The concern was evident in his voice.

"Yeah, he's fine," she said, adjusting the blanket over his chest slightly. She gave Logan's hand a gentle squeeze and was surprised to find the pressure softly returned. "Look, I gotta go. I'll get him to call you," she said and quickly hung up. She looked at Logan's face to find him looking back at her. "Hey, didn't expect you to wake up so soon. How you feeling?"

"Like I've been hit by a Mack truck," he said dryly. He cautiously reached for the trapeze above his head but gave up on the attempt to pull himself more upright as pain radiated across his back, eliciting a groan.

"Hey, take it easy. I don't think you should be doin' that." Max poured him a cup of water from the jug on the table and handed it to him to sip through a bent straw, slipping an arm under his head and propping him up a bit to do so. Logan closed his eyes and grimaced at the movement.

"Thanks," he said, relaxing back into the pillows.

"No problem," she replied with a smile.

He took a couple of sips of the water and released the straw. His eyelids fluttered and settled shut again, the long lashes now creating shadows on his cheeks. Max looked at him indulgently. She took his hand again for a moment, smoothing the top with her fingers, then released it, softly saying, "Late…" Max gave a little smile – partly of relief. "Sweet dreams, Logan," she said, and turned to go.

"G'night, Max," she heard him softly mumble to her retreating back.

She paused and looked over her shoulder. "Night."

---------------

Max gazed out the window of the apartment at a night sky alternately dotted with stars and tiny dark gray clouds. She had spent most of the night here, unable to sleep, or unwilling to try – she wasn't sure which. "Logan Cale, why'd you have to go and get under my skin," she mused aloud, crossing her arms around her knees as she sat scrunched into the corner of the couch.

_"…It's the Egyptian goddess Bast. The goddess who comprehends all goddesses, eye of Ra, protector, avenger, destroyer…giver of life who lives forever." _Her mind trekked back to that night, to the girl in the cat-suit and the whack rich dude in his trick apartment. This apartment. Home. Only the second real home she'd ever had.

"Eye of Ra, eyes over Seattle, Eyes Only, eyes in the back of my head…" she laughed at her own silliness and hugged her knees tighter. "Guess you were right about one thing, though. We are all involved, no matter how much we think we aren't. Reality has this way of finding us." She sighed. "Dammit, Logan. I miss you already." She looked at the digital readout on the DVD player: 4:07 am. "Guess I should try and get some sleep."


	38. A Hard Day's Night

**Disclaimer**: See multiple previous chapters.

**A/N:** Many thanks for the beta to both alaidh and catherder.

**Chapter 38: A Hard Day's Night**

_Max stepped toward him out of the golden light, the white dress shimmering around her._

_"Dance with me."_

_"I can't."_

_"Sure you can. Mind over matter."_

_"See, my problem is I can't walk."_

"I'm not asking you to walk. Just…"

_Shooting, a scream, and the comms went dead. Logan was on his feet in a flash of intuition knowing something was wrong. "Max!". He found her, the front of the white dress stained red with her blood. "…this isn't bad…No, no, no, no. No, we're gonna get you out of here. Okay? It's gonna be all right.""_

_Then she was walking toward him across the floor of Jam Pony, the red dress a shimmer of movement. "You clean up nice," she was saying, looking up at him shyly as she stepped out of the dress in the bedroom of the cabin. Touching, and…_

The sudden noise of the curtains being roughly pulled open and the bright sunlight from the windows had Logan squinting into the bright light of a new day. _God, I hate hospitals,_ he thought, restraining himself from glaring at the person who had so rudely disturbed his dreams.

"Good morning, Mr. Cale. How are we today?" the middle-aged nurse asked him in an overly-bright voice, like she was talking to a child.

Logan glowered at her and didn't respond, watching as she checked the flow of the drip. They'd changed his position at some stage during the night when he'd been so knocked out by the drugs that he didn't sense it happening. One arm had ended up awkwardly scrunched, half under his body, the fingers numb from lack of circulation. He pushed himself onto his back again, grimacing at the pain the movement triggered, both in his back and from the returning circulation in his fingers. He wriggled them experimentally to hurry up the job.

Another crash announced the arrival of breakfast.

"I hate hospitals," Logan grumbled aloud this time, deliberately making it audible to the nurse.

"And just where would you be without hospitals?" she asked him sharply.

"Dead on the street a long time ago," he answered wryly.

She gave a slight smile of triumph. "Are you going to try to eat something?" she asked more gently.

Logan looked with distaste at the tray of covered dishes.

"Guess so," he replied with a sigh.

"Well, let's get you set up."

----------------------------------

"Morning, all," announced Max, walking through the doorway of Original Cindy's apartment.

"Whassup, guys?" she asked.

"Mom!" exclaimed Ben happily.

"Hey, tiger."

"Morning, Max. How's Logan?" Cindy asked, sliding another egg onto Ben's plate.

"Sleeping like a baby when I left last night," she responded. "You ready for your game, tiger? I mean, you do want to play today?"

"Yeah, Mom," he replied, looking down at his half-eaten plate of food.

"Finish up. We've got plenty of time," she said as Original Cindy set a cup of coffee in front of her. She sat down on the other bar stool, holding the baby loosely on her hip. "We can go and see Dad later."

Ben smiled and stabbed his fork into the egg yolk on his plate, making it run. "Kewl."

------------------------

Logan looked out the window at an uncommonly bright and sunny fall day. He lay on his back, his face turned away from the door, a book in his hand, half-forgotten. He had read the same paragraph three times over, the medication having taken away most of his concentration, and was now just drifting – not fully awake, but not asleep either.

Sam had dropped by earlier in the day and expressed himself as being happy with how the surgery had gone. He had given instructions for the removal of the saline drip, but refused to let himself be drawn on the question of when Logan would be allowed out of bed, when he would be allowed home. He had just looked at Logan with an amused expression on his face and said, "Who's the surgeon here? These things will happen when I say and not a minute sooner." Sam had then gone his quiet way.

-------------------------

"Check." Max smiled, trapping Logan's King with her Queen. "That makes…four to me. You're off your game."

Logan gave her back a crooked smile of his own as he swept the pieces off the magnetic chessboard onto the bed and started packing them away. Max sinuously uncurled herself from her chair and walked across to the window, staring out through her own reflection at a vista of blinking lights. The room was almost dark, only lit by the light above Logan's head. She propped a shoulder against the cold glass. "When're you bustin' outta this joint?" she asked.

"Dunno. Sooner the better."

She blew a puff of breath on the cold glass, frosting it lightly, then traced a heart with an arrow, immediately rubbing it out with her hand, and smiled at him.

"You miss me?" he asked. "Whatever happened to 'no-ties-no-baggage' Max?"

"That girl died a long time ago," she said, still leaning against the window. _I think she started to die the day I broke into a certain penthouse and crossed paths with a certain underground cyber-journalist named Logan Cale. _"Guess I've grown accustomed to having you around."

Logan couldn't help smiling at that. "I can live with that."

Max had chosen Sunday night to visit him alone. She had come earlier in the day with both children, but made the evening visit on her own, leaving Original Cindy in charge at home. As she watched, a single cloud drifted across the quarter moon. She turned her head back to look at Logan, and suddenly itched to touch him. Theirs was a tactile relationship – a year of not being able to touch had seen to that, but they were seldom demonstrative in public or anywhere they were likely to be seen, except in front of close family – although what went on behind closed doors (even where witnesses could _hear_ them) was an entirely different matter. They preferred to keep overt signs of affection away from prying eyes, if not ears. _All the same, _Max thought. Logan, watching the expressions fly across Max's face, wondered what caused her to blush.

"I..I miss you, too," he admitted softly.

"What – getting' sick of the prettiest nurses fighting over who's gonna give you a sponge-bath?" Max asked cheekily.

Logan glared at her in mock anger, but quickly relaxed his features into a self-conscious smile. "Yeah, all right, whatever."

She grinned broadly at him. "I should go. Visiting hours were over ages ago," she said, leaving her post by the window and coming over to the bed. She leaned over to give him a kiss, but found herself held in place by a slow, sexy grin and the fascinating pair of green eyes behind the round lenses, liquid pools with bottomless depths. Logan placed a firm hand on her waist, somehow managing to find his way past her jacket into the bare patch of skin between her top and her jeans. His touch burned into her, and what started out to be a quick farewell became something longer and more intimate. Max cupped Logan's face in her hands and slowly brought her face to his, breathing in his unique scent, sampling his lips, gently at first, and then making firmer contact. She trembled with longing, then realized it couldn't be – not then, not there, and backed off slowly, marching resolutely to the door. "Late," she said huskily looking back at him. "I'll see you…"

"Later," he said. "Oh, and Max?"

"Yes?" she said enquiringly, half turning back, her hand still on the door handle.

"Can you bring my chair tomorrow? I'm hoping…"

She nodded, then disappeared out the door.

----------------------------------

Logan lay back against the pillows for a good few minutes before reaching for the remote control and turning on the TV Max had, with great difficulty, managed to obtain for him earlier in the day when she realized that he just didn't have the focus to do much else – his efforts with chess the previous night, backed up by the more recent rout, proved that. The novel he had brought with him languished on the nightstand. He hadn't picked it up since the day before. He flicked through the few channels before settling on a news program, the droning voice of the announcer more soporific than Valium, the headset digging into his ears.

--------------------------------

"I'm home!" Max called out as she walked in the front door of the apartment.

"In here," a voice called back in response. Max wandered through, dropping her keys in the dish on the side table in the dining room on the way, to find OC curled up on the sofa with Ben, watching a movie. Ben leaned into his "aunt," seemingly half-asleep already.

"Hi, Mom," he said.

"Any problems?" Max asked.

"Nope," replied OC. "Not a peep from the little girl, and this one – we're just watchin' the end of the movie and then he's goin' ta bed, right?"

"Right," Ben mumbled, struggling to stay awake.

"Want a hot chocolate?" Max asked, wandering into the kitchen.

"Sure, sugah," replied OC, clicking the TV remote as the final credits started to play.

"Okay, tiger, bed-time. Scoot!" his mother called from the kitchen.

---------------------------------------------

Logan woke with a jolt. The hospital, while not usually dead silent at night, seemed to have come alive during the period of time he had slept. It was still dark. Logan fumbled for the light switch, blinking his eyes in the glare when it flared on, but at least it enabled him to fuzzily read the clock on the far wall: 2:20 am. He rubbed a hand across his eyes and sighed as another loud noise had him looking toward the doorway. The angle prohibited him from seeing much, but the corridor lights were on and there seemed to be plenty of activity. He lay back and listened, curiously watching the occasional shadow move past, giving up on the idea of sleep, but not able to make out anything to answer the questions in his head. Finally, he picked up the remote to turn on the TV, hoping to find an answer, but a few minutes of channel flicking only resulted in two old movies, a cartoon, and the broadcast of an Australian football game. He turned off the set in disgust and stared into space.

"Oh, Mr. Cale, you're awake. Is everything okay?"

Logan looked around at the nurse standing in the doorway. "Yeah. The noise woke me."

"Sorry about that. Can I help you with anything while I'm here?"

"Yeah, you can bust me the hell out of this joint," he replied with a grin.

She laughed and left him, shaking her head.

------------------------------

Max stared out the window at a light rain shower. Original Cindy was asleep in Max and Logan's bed. The rain pattered lightly on the window, streaking it in lines of water. The gray sky glowed where the moon peeked through the clouds. A typical Seattle night. She tucked her legs up, hugging her knees, resting her chin on top. She'd barely slept since Friday. Over the years, she'd discovered that she was more inclined to sleep with Logan there…or maybe it was just that she was sharing the bed with him and the very fact of actually being in the bed made her sleep. Whatever the reason, she couldn't sleep now. And something niggled at the back of her mind from the brief glimpse of a newscast she'd watched after Cindy had gone to bed.

She tried to piece together the images of a smashed up tour bus, baggage strewn over the roadside, ambulances, police, rescuers, rescued. Something felt wrong with the whole situation. The night was wet, but it wasn't raining heavily, just the light misting rain that was normal for Seattle. She shrugged mentally. _Oh well, not really my thing, solving the problems of the world…it'll come to me…_

-------------------------------

Logan changed his position, half rolling onto his side. He flicked the switch to turn out the light and gazed into the darkness at the gray clouds outside the window. The lights from other parts of the building reflected off the light patterning of rain streaking the windowpane, and he could vaguely make out the smear on the glass where Max had drawn the heart earlier. He wondered what she was doing. _Sleeping, I hope_. He sighed, still hearing the bustle in the corridor and mentally kicking himself for not asking what was up while he had the chance.

-------------------------

Max switched the TV on again, the volume low, and channel surfed until she found another news broadcast. The image of the bus accident was still haunting her, and she felt the need to know why. She had to see that footage again. She had loaded a disk in the recorder, intending to tape whatever she could find.

--------------------------

The shrill ringing of the phone startled Logan into wakefulness just as he had managed to doze off. He reached for it, fumbling and almost dropping the handset, pulling a face as he felt the stretch in his back. "Hello."

"Logan, you awake?"

"Well, if I wasn't, I am now," he replied dryly. "What's up, Max?"

"Turn on the TV. See if you can find Channel 3 news. Quickly," she said.

Logan clicked the switch and then slid on his glasses one-handed before flicking through the channels until he found the one. "Okay. What am I looking for?"

"Behind the reporter to the left, near the black SUV."

Logan peered closely, squinting at the tiny image in the TV screen, seeing only the back of a head of light colored hair and some black clothing. "Who am I…" and then the figure turned and Logan saw his face. "What the hell is he doing here!?" Logan hissed.

"I don't know," she replied evenly. "But I sure as hell aim to find out."

"Max…I can help."

"No, Logan," she said, her response brooking no argument. "Let me handle this." _You're not up to it anyway._ She left the words unsaid, but they lingered in the air all the same.

"Max, get Alec to do it."

"I won't do anything stupid."

"Promise?"

"I promise. I'll see you tonight, 'kay?"

"Sure," he said, trying not to let the worry show.

* * *


	39. Mission

**Disclaimer:** See previous chapters.

**A/N:** I have been bludgeoned into posting this with only Alaidh's beta. When I have catherder's beta, I will repost. Sorry it's only short, but I'm having some problems with RL right now and it's just sapping all my creative energy. Enjoy!

Chapter 39 Mission 

Alec slowly became aware of the persistent buzzing beside his ear. The buzzing stopped for a minute, then started again. He gave a groan and reached unerringly for his phone, eyes still closed. "This better be important," he said.

"Get up, Alec, I need your help."

"Hi, Max. How are you at this ungodly hour?" he said, squinting at his watch, the sarcasm creeping into his mild words. "You should be asleep in bed like a normal happy couple, or is…"

"Don't go there," she warned. "Logan's not here, and since when are you such an expert on relationships."

"No need to bite my head off," he said, swinging his legs around to sit on the side of the bed.

"Sorry. Look, can you help me or not?"

Alec sighed. "Where's Logan?"

Max paused then figured she'd better tell at least some part of the story or Alec just wasn't going to cooperate. "Look, Logan's…indisposed, and yes, he's fully aware of the situation. It's just a simple investigation. I want to know what someone is up to. Are you gonna help me or not?"

"Indisposed," Alec sniffed, latching onto the word. "What's that supposed to mean? He got the 'flu? What?"

"If you must know, he's at Metro Medical for a coupla days."

"Okayyyyy, now that wasn't so hard, was it…" He let the words hang for a moment. "What is it you need?"

While Max outlined what she required, Alec stood up and walked to the window. He looked out at the gray sky and the heavy rain and grimaced. "Max," he interrupted. "Any chance I could borrow a car? In case you haven't noticed, it's pouring out there."

"Since when has borrowing a car been a problem for you?" was her snippy response. _Or for me, _she almost added.

"Max!"

She considered the request briefly. "Okay, swing by. You can take the Aztek. Just bring it back in one piece or I'll never hear the end of it."

"Thanks, Max," he said. _Even though I'm only doing this for you._ "Be there in fifteen." He broke the connection and was out the door five minutes later.

-----------------------------

Logan glared at the TV screen. He felt helpless, impotent. _I should be there, not stuck in bed,_ he thought. The headset sat disregarded in his hand, making the occasional noise, distorted by static, while the news had moved on to other things.

Coming to a decision, Logan pulled back the bedclothes, heaved his legs over the side, and forced himself into an upright position, stifling a groan at the sudden pain that coursed across his back at the movement. A moment later, he was clutching at the nightstand, the trapeze, anything at all, to stay upright as his head started to swim at the change in blood pressure triggered by being upright after several days in bed. He must have made a noise, because the next thing he knew, someone was there and he heard through the red mist a startled exclamation. "Mr. Cale!" A moment later, he was safely reclining back in the bed so quickly that he never had the chance to pass out completely.

"But you don't understand," he said grumpily. "I have to get home."

"You're in no state to do that," the nurse said, firmly tucking in the bedclothes. "And how were you planning on doing that, anyway? Crawl?"

"If I have to," he answered petulantly, then he relaxed, giving a big sigh, realizing he wasn't going to win.

The nurse, rightly seeing the change in body language as expressing acquiescence, smiled. "You'll be out of here soon. Just be patient."

"Yeah, that's all right for you," he replied, some of the grumpiness creeping back into his voice.

"Try to get some sleep," she said, turning out the light.

----------------------------------

Max booted up the computer and started the radio scanner. She set up a window with a continuous hack of the news broadcast from the scene of the bus accident and dug out a set of comms from a drawer, checking the batteries before setting them on the desk. She doubted they had the range, but still, you could never tell. A faint cry penetrated her consciousness –anyone with less sensitive hearing wouldn't have picked it up in the almost soundproof confines of the computer room. She stopped what she was doing and walked the short distance to Eva's room.

Max didn't bother to turn on the light. She could see Eva perfectly clearly, standing up in the crib, clutching the bars in tiny fists, her hair tousled, cheeks red, tears at the corners of her eyes. As Max watched, she released her hold on the bars and held out both hands to be picked up, standing unsupported for a moment before plopping down on her well-padded behind and smiling now that her mother was there. "Well, look at you," Max said softly.

"Mamamamamamamamama," Eva babbled in response, still holding out her arms.

"Sure, sugah," Max said, picking up her daughter, a small smile of pride turning up the corners of her mouth.

There was a soft knock on the apartment door, and the slightest of squeaks as it opened. "Max?" a voice said softly.

"In here, Alec," she said quietly in response, leaving Eva's room via the side door and walking up the short hallway between the two bedrooms to meet him.

She gestured with her head in the direction of the computer room, turned on her heel and walked the short distance into the room without waiting for him to acknowledge her gesture. She sat down in the office chair, comfortably holding Eva across her body, and swung round to face him.

"Where am I going?" he said.

Max reached for the map she'd already printed out and handed it to him to look at. Eva whimpered, pulling at Max's top with baby fingers. A babble of voices came over the police scanner, but nothing definitive. "Here's the keys to the Aztek. Bring it back in one piece," she said firmly. "And here…these'll probably be out of range, but you never know," she continued, handing him the comms. "If the comms don't work, call me as soon as you get close. The weather's too bad. No way I can hack into a satellite and get visual. I'll try, but…" Tiring of Eva's fidgeting, she lifted her top in preparation to feed her, not taking her eyes off Alec's face as she did so. "I'm not Logan," she shrugged. "And even he'd have trouble finding something with a clear view tonight."

Alec averted his eyes. "Gee, Max. Next time you might want to warn me before doing that," he grimaced. "T-M-I."

"Go on, get outta here," she said, managing to maintain a straight face despite a strong desire to laugh at his sudden discomfort.

---------------------

Logan lay on his side, wide awake, looking into the darkness. Three times he'd reached out for the telephone to call Max, and three times he'd stopped himself in time, telling himself to stop being a fool, that she could cope. He sighed and closed his eyes in an attempt to rest. When the phone did ring, the noise was startlingly loud, and he paused before reaching for it thoughtfully.

"Max?"


	40. Rain

**Disclaimer:** See chapter 1. Nothing has changed.

**A/N**: Thanks to Alaidh for the beta. This was been a long time coming and I know it's very short but I've had really severe writer's block for a couple of months now. Drop me a review if you like it, or even if you don't.

**Chapter 40: Rain**

Alec unlocked the Aztek and slid into the driver's seat. He started the engine then looked for the switch to activate the foot pedals. He'd seen Logan do the opposite often enough to know. The SUV started with a healthy roar – it was old but, despite external appearances, Logan kept it in good repair mechanically. Alec switched the controls over then tried the gas pedal experimentally, smiling at the answering roar from the motor. "Mission accomplished," he said to himself, putting the car in gear and driving out of the parking garage.

The rain still poured down, streaking the glass between strokes of the wiper blades, misting the windows. He steered a course north, thankful of the fact that on a night like this, most people wouldn't want to venture out of doors, and even the cops manning the few checkpoints left wouldn't be prepared to leave their warm, dry booths to check anyone's ID. He had a clear run out of the city.

xoxoxoxoxoxoxox

"Max."

She felt the relief in his voice. "Of course."

"Did you get a hold of Alec?"

"Yeah, he just headed out. You wanna hang on the line while we do this? I could probably do with the company."

Logan smiled, even while he acknowledged to himself that the reality was she didn't need his help. "Yeah. Did you fix him up with some comms?"

"Yes, but they'll be outta range by the time he gets there."

"You might wanna try bouncing the signal off a weather satellite."

"Um, Logan? Have you looked outside? Ain't nothin' gonna penetrate that. Hang on a minute." Max switched the phone to the speaker, freeing her hand to use the keyboard. "Nothing in the area. We're gonna have to rely on what we got."

Logan nodded and closed his eyes tiredly. "Okay." He scrubbed at his face with his free hand, the scruff scratching at his hand, waking him up. "Any thoughts on what he's doing in this neck of the woods?"

"Not a clue," she replied. "As far as I'm aware, he hasn't been in these parts in years."

Logan nodded to himself, and heard the office chair creak as Max changed position, sitting up straighter, adjusting the position of the baby on her lap.

xoxoxoxoxoxoxox

Alec winced as the rain grew heavier. The radio was inaudible over the combined din of the loud tattoo on the roof of the vehicle, coupled with the swish of the wipers and noise from the road. "Looks like the car's gettin' washed whether you want it or not, Logan." That thought kept him grinning for a while.

It was a miserable night to be driving – a miserable night to do anything at all. He nosed the car slowly out of the city, grateful that the weather was keeping most people indoors. Hitting the highway north, he upped the speed, thankful for the superior vision and reflexes that allowed him to do so. He didn't want to stay out in this any longer than he had to. Twenty minutes later, he spotted lights ahead and was stopped by a police barricade across the road.

Xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxox

"You took your time getting here."

Alec glared at the compact figure standing before him, rain dripping from a borrowed slicker two sizes too big. "Hey, if it were up to me, I wouldn't be here at all," the X5 snapped back.

"I knew she'd send someone if she couldn't come herself."

"Yeah, right. Curiosity killed the kitty cat," Alec snorted derisively. "Come on. She wants you back at her place, pronto. Car's this way."

Xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxox

"Got the package," Alec said into the phone enigmatically. "Can I go home now, ma?"

Max rolled her eyes. "Bring him back here then you can go home," she said sharply into the handset of the phone.

"You sure you wanna do that, Max?"

"He's been here before, Alec."

"Okay…see ya soon." Alec snapped the phone shut and started the engine. "Put your seatbelt on. Don't wanna be held up by an over-zealous sector cop," he said.

The only response was a grim smile.

Xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxox

"Mr. Cale, what are you doing awake?"

Logan looked up at the nurse somewhat tiredly and gestured at the phone he still held in his hand. "Talking to my wife," he said slowly.

"Are you all right?" She looked up from where she was studying his chart. "Pain okay?"

"Not really," he said.

"You're due for your meds."

He nodded. "Thanks."

Xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxox

"Logan, you still with me?" Max asked. She'd heard the quiet conversation in the background as the nurse spoke to him and bit her lip guiltily. _Oh, Logan…_

"I'm here," he said, his speech slightly slurred – part weariness, part from the drugs the nurse had just administered. Even to himself he sounded oddly disembodied, his brain fogging over as the medication kicked in.

"Hey," she replied affectionately. "I got this under control. Get some rest."

"'Kay, Max."

He didn't even have the strength to hang up the phone and dropped it to the pillow beside his head. Max heard the start of some gentle snores before she broke the connection. She left her hand resting on the receiver for a moment before letting out a loud sigh. She missed Logan more than she would ever admit. He had become too much a part of her over the years. Gathering up Eva, she walked through to the living room to wait for Alec. Logan's wheelchair was parked in front of the picture windows where she'd left it after bringing it home earlier in the week. Hugging the baby to her, she tried to peer outside through the torrential rain that coated the windows and obscured all but the brightest lights in the building opposite. She gave an ironic grin to the chair and touched the back gently with one hand before crossing to the front and sitting down in it. Snuggling into the comfortable seat cushion, she felt an instant connection with her absent husband and was able to relax for the first time since she'd seen the news broadcast.

xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxox

Alec cast a cynical glance at his passenger. Their paths hadn't crossed while he was at Manticore, although he knew of the man's reputation, but they had met a few times since then.

"How is she? She still with Cale?"

"What do you care?" Alec snapped.

"Snippy," the man replied and grinned. "Prick a nerve?"

"No," Alec rolled his eyes. "Definitely not. Just got better things to do on a night like this than play taxi driver to you." He glanced over to his right to see his passenger give a small chuckle and wad his jacket into a ball against the window as a pillow before closing his eyes against the night.

xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxox

"Yo, Max!" Alec called out softly, entering the apartment with his passenger right behind him. "Where are you?"

"Living room, Alec," she replied, equally softly. She was curled up in an armchair, having just returned Eva to her room. "Come in." She waited for Alec to conduct her guest into the room. "Thanks, Alec, you can go."

Alec looked at her doubtfully for a moment. "Okay, you mind if I…" he waved the car keys at her.

She waved him away impatiently. "Bring it back tomorrow…intact."

He gave her a mock-hurt look. "What?" Then his normal good humor reinstated itself. "Later, Max."

Max turned a glittering gaze on the other visitor, fixing him with a stare. Her posture, as she sat in the armchair, was deceptively relaxed, one knee bent and an arm resting upon it. She waited for the click of the front door closing before she spoke again. For his part, the man before her cast a look around the room, eyes narrowing when he saw the wheelchair parked in front of the window. His head cocked slightly as he also heard the door close and he returned his eyes to Max. "Hello, Max," he said, his voice gruffer than she remembered. "You're looking good."

"Hi, Don," she said somewhat casually. "What brings you to Seattle after all this time?"

He pulled a slip of paper out of the inside pocket of his jacket. She stood to take it from him as he held it out to her. "This," he said, his expression grim.


End file.
